Just Another Mission Gone Wrong
by Bubblegum1027
Summary: Mac and Jack find themselves trying to protect the daughter of a possibly rogue CIA agent that the Phoenix Foundation is responsible for tracking down. The mission seems to take a turn for the worse. Expect Mac whump and possible Jack whump. Rated T just to stay safe. Based on the 2016 MacGyver reboot.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! So this is my first fanfic, like... EVER... so please go easy on me :P. I'd love any sort of reviews you guys have to offer and please if the formatting isn't right or something, can you tell me? This is my first time posting here and so I'm not all familiar with everything. Constructive criticism would be awesome along with what you guys think of the story! I'm expecting some Mac whump and possible Jack whump so be prepared! Will be a multi-chapter fic (not sure how long yet!). I just wanted to post the first chapter to see if I get some good reviews and should continue or not. Tell me what you think! :)**

Chapter 1

Mac was running out of air, and fast. He couldn't hold his breath forever and it didn't help that 5 other guys were surrounding him, all ready to beat him to death. Behind him was the already unconscious girl. He'd given her his DIY pop bottle gas mask but it wasn't going to do her much good if he couldn't get them both out soon. And where in the world was Jack at?

One of the men began to approach, his own gas mask obscuring most of his features. Mac curled his fists and balanced on the balls of his feet, readying himself for an attack. It was stupid, really, and he knew that any attempt to fight these men off was going to be unsuccessful. A single punch in the gut and he would be a goner; the second he breathed in the deadly fumes he'd pass out in a matter of minutes. But he wasn't going to give up without a fight. If he could buy himself a little bit more time maybe Jack would show up and he'd have a chance of escaping.

The man took a swing and Mac blocked it, quickly ducking to avoid another punch thrown from a man behind him. The two goons nearly collided and Mac took this opportunity to duck beneath them. Muted cussing came from behind the men's gas masks and they turned, only to see Mac attempting to fight off three of the other goons. He was throwing punches wildly, but his lips were pursed and jaw clenched in an obvious effort to resist drawing in a breath that would most certainly kill him. His lungs were on fire, but he knew that the pain was far less worse than what he'd experience if he took a breath.

Mac lost the fight all too quickly when he attempted to block a punch too late. The man's fist pounded into his gut and Mac involuntarily opened his mouth to take a breath. He was met by an icy burn that began to fill his lungs. He broke out coughing and wheezing, his vision suddenly blurring. Whether it was the fumes or the sheer pain that was making him faint, he didn't know. What he did know was that if he didn't get fresh air soon, he was dead.

If he hadn't been struggling to take in every single breath, he might've laughed at the whole stupid situation. Of course, it was his own dumb luck that would get him killed in the very room he had gassed. Who knew the bad guys would have gas masks with them? What were they planning on doing with the girl anyway?

The men started to approach the girl, leaving Mac to suffocate, knowing that in a matter of minutes he'd lose consciousness and shortly after he'd be dead. There was no need to shoot him or beat him anymore; the fumes would take care of him soon enough. Their main priority was the girl, not some government agent who had tried to stand in their way.

The largest of the men, Walton, scooped up the girl's unconscious body, cradling her in his arms. The rest of the men began to file out of the room, not even bothering to glance back at the dying agent who was desperately clinging to a metal post, coughing and wheezing.

That was their first mistake.

Mac was losing consciousness quickly, but he wasn't dead yet. He whipped out his Swiss army knife, pulling out the blade and gripping it tightly in his fist. He didn't generally resort to weapons like knives or guns, but he was low on options now and injuring his enemy was probably his only chance of getting out alive at this point.

Mac lunged at the men, taking them by surprise, and his blade buried itself into Walton's back. The man screamed in agony and dropped the limp body of the girl onto the floor. He whipped around, fists searching for a target. Mac attempted to duck down but his movements were already sluggish and clumsy. Walton's fist connected easily with his gut, catapulting him against the wall. Mac tried to cry out but he was met by a fit of coughing instead. He crumpled against the wall, black spots floating through his vision. Actually, 'floating' wasn't really the right word; the spots were punching him, so hard that he had to squeeze his eyes shut just to ward off the pain. But even through his semi-conscious state, Mac heard the gunfire and the sound of the men falling around him.

Jack had finally shown up.

Mac forced his eyes open, coughing and wheezing, searching for the girl. She wasn't far from him. He threw her arm around his neck and started to crawl, dragging her limp body behind him. He wanted so desperately to take her gas mask off and use it, but he didn't know how much of the fumes the girl had already breathed in before he had gotten to her; he couldn't risk permanently damaging her lungs or brain.

Instead, he focused on getting to the door. 5 more feet. 3. 2. He was only seconds from getting outside. He could already taste the fresh air when he felt Jack's arms around him, pulling him and the girl from the room. The bright sun blinded him, but he welcomed it gratefully as he heaved in gulps of fresh air. The air burned his throat and lungs but either way, it felt amazing. Consciousness slowly returned and the world came into focus. Jack was leaning over the girl, removing her makeshift gas mask that Mac had hurriedly made while sneaking worried glances back at Mac who was coughing and gagging, attempting to steady himself as he stood up.

"Mac, please tell me you didn't kill her," Jack teased as he gingerly removed her gas mask. Mac shook his head and grinned, stumbling over to where Jack was crouched. The girl was breathing normally; the only signs of what happened was a small gash on her forehead which was most likely from Walton dropping her. She was going to be perfectly fine once she regained consciousness. She was already starting to stir.

"I think she'll be just fine," Mac mused. He plopped down as the adrenaline slowly wore off and exhaustion started to take a hold. "Now can I ask why it took you so freakin' long to get here?"

Jack squinted and turned to Mac, shielding his eyes his with hand. "Long? I was here in under ten minutes!" Mac opened his mouth to complain but Jack quickly shushed him with the finger point. "And let me tell you this: getting here in that kind of time was like a record cause I was nearly halfway across town!"

Jack beamed with pride but Mac just stared, jaw dropped and visibly unimpressed. He leaned his head back against the brick wall and snorted. "So maybe you'd like to relay that information to me next time before I gas a room full of bad guys and run in with a homemade gas mask. Riley told me that _you_ said you'd be here in a couple of minutes."

Jack frowned. "Well, I forget about the construction on the bridge so it took me an extra four minutes. Unless, of course, you'd have preferred I ran over the nice construction workers who, by the way, were not impressed when I drove through their road block."

Mac just laughed. More than anything, he was happy he wasn't dead yet.

Jack quickly turned his attention back to the girl. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she reached up for her head, fingering the gash that was trickling blood down her face.

"Wha-?" she began, then she took sight of Jack and shrunk back, opening her mouth to scream.

"No, no, no, no!" Mac hissed, jumping into her line of sight. She relaxed suddenly when she saw Mac.

"How..?" She glanced around the alleyway, taking in the smoking room and the motionless bodies of her captors. "Last I remember the whole room was filled with some sort of smoking bomb and he came in. I couldn't breathe." She pointed at Mac.

Jack jabbed his thumb back at Mac. "Yeah, well, this pinhead's got a bad habit of playing with funny bombs that nearly kill him in the process. He's just lucky I showed up when I did or he might be like those other goons in there."

Mac chuckled and smacked Jack just hard enough for him to lose his balance in his crouched position. "Sure. Sure," he mumbled. He reached out a hand to help the teen to her feet. "We've got to get back to headquarters and get this all sorted out."

The girl took his hand and got up, swaying on her feet slightly and holding her head.

" Sorry. My head's kinda foggy," she murmured.

Mac smiled sympathetically. His own head was pounding mercilessly. "Yeah, sorry about that," he apologized, waving his hand towards the smoking room. "It's the only diversion I could think of at the time."

The trio headed back towards the black Mercedes waiting at the curb. Matty, Riley, and Bozer were sure to be waiting for them when they got back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks, everyone who reviewed! I love getting feedback and you all were so positive and encouraging :). Here's the next chapter. Be warned, I've tried to make some of the things MacGyver does realistic, however, "MacGyvering" isn't my area of expertise. :P So hopefully you can use your imagination and it all works out. Once again, thank- you for all the reviews! I really do LOVE getting feedback.**

Chapter 2

Jack was driving the speed limit; something he didn't do very often. But the last thing they needed was to get pulled over for speeding on their way back to HQ. Matty would definitely not tolerate something as stupid as that.

The ride was slow. The girl was leaning her head against the cool glass window, obviously trying to ward off a headache. Mac was in the back seat, head cradled in his hands as his brain throbbed in sync with his heart. It'd take a little while for the headache to subside, he just hoped it'd be before Matty chewed him out for his improvising.

Jack looked at the girl, then glanced in the rearview mirror at Mac. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Wow, you guys looked a little wiped out. What was in that gas bomb thingy anyway, Mac?"

Mac sat up and sighed, leaning his head against the seat. "It was a Chlorine bomb. Once the bomb went off it detonated the container and released smoke and a whole lot of fumes into the air."

Jack cringed. "Can't you get _sick_ from that? How the hell did you make it anyway?" Mac opened his mouth to respond but Jack held up a hand. "Nevermind, actually. Don't answer the second half of that."

Mac just chuckled and closed his eyes. "You can get sick if you're exposed to it long enough, but I'm pretty sure both of us are ok," he reassured.

Jack just shrugged, turning his attention to the girl. "Hey, uh, I never did catch your name?"

The 16-year-old girl sat upright, realizing that Jack was talking to her. She pushed her long chestnut brown hair behind her ears and rubbed her eyes.

"Avery," she said while plastering a smile on her face. Not only did she look a lot more lively than Mac, she sounded perkier too.

"Well, _Avery,_ I'm Jack and that's my partner Angus MacGyver. And despite his near death experience, Mac's usually a lot better with bombs and stuff," Jack teased.

Mac just grinned. Normally he'd have some sort of witty remark to toss back at Jack but right now he was just thankful for the fresh air around him and the fact that Avery was still alive.

Jack slowed down as they approached HQ. After punching in the code, he pulled the black Mercedes into the garage and parked in no specific spot; not that there were that many cars in the garage anyway. It seemed like any kind of secret service, CIA, DXS and MI6 included, always had a habit of making their parking garages ridiculously large for no apparent reason. It wasn't like they should be expecting any sort of unexpected company; they were, after all, supposed to be a _secret_ organization _._ This meant that their location was unknown.

Or so they thought.

Jack flinched as he opened the door and bullets ricocheted off the metal frame of the car. He quickly slammed the door shut and crouched down instinctively. Avery screamed and threw herself on the floor while Mac shielded her with his body.

"Crap! Where the hell did these goons come from?" Jack yelled as he reached for his gun.

Mac helped Avery curl up on the floor. "Don't move, ok? We're gonna get you out of this. Just got to do as we say. You got it?"

Avery nodded quickly and threw her hands over her head as a bullet smashed through the window. Mac ducked down as the glass cascaded over the back seat and he covered Avery as much as he could to prevent her from getting cut. Meanwhile, Jack had moved into the passenger's seat and was returning fire.

"Mac!" Jack yelped, diving down for cover. "Mac!"

"What?!" Mac screamed back, hoping that Jack would hear him over the echoing of the guns and the shattering glass.

"Please tell me you've got some nerdy plan to get us out of here!"

"Yeah, well," Mac paused, glancing around the vehicle and daring to peek out the window. There were 8 men dressed in army attire approaching the vehicle, each one holding an AR-15 assault rifle. Jack was attempting to hold them back but he wasn't much of a match for the kind of firepower and manpower their enemy had.

"Well, what!?" Jack screamed back while poking his gun out of the shattered window. Avery cried out in panic as another bullet smashed the opposite window.

"Uhhh.." Mac frantically searched the vehicle, hoping that something would come to mind. He quickly considered just driving away, but that option was quickly eliminated when he realized that they'd have to punch in the code to get the garage door to open again. They didn't have time for that. Their best bet was to get into HQ where they could put the building into full lockdown and have their own team take out these goons.

"Mac! I know you're thinking but just sitting there isn't a very good option! There's no surveillance in the garage so if you're waiting for Matty to send a backup team, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not happening," Jack shouted.

"Just give me a minute!" Mac pleaded.

"We don't _have_ a minute! I'm running out of ammo!"

That's when Mac figured out what to do. He quickly climbed over the seats and slumped down in the driver's seat, ripping apart the steering wheel to gain access to the airbag. Jack took a glance back but didn't bother questioning what Mac was doing. He'd learn that asking would only slow the kid down or send him on some high-tech rant that he didn't understand. Better to let the kid do what he had to do and hope that it worked.

Mac crawled back into the seat with Avery, jiggling some of the wires on the airbag crash sensor. Avery dared a glance up and an almost unobvious look of confusion washed over her face before the fear and panic returned as another bullet collided with the car. Mac flinched but didn't glance up from his work. He flipped one of the seats down and pulled the spare tire from the trunk. Awkwardly, he pulled it onto his lap while still trying to keep his head low. Avery curled up against the door; trying to give Mac more room to work.

"Mac, you've got to hurry! I've only got a few more bullets left!" Jack urged.

"Make sure you save one. We're gonna need it," Mac replied quickly as he began to scoop the shards of glass from the seat and place them inside the hollow of the tire. "Avery, can you help me get as much glass into this tire as possible?"

Avery nodded warily, slowly pulling herself up from the floor while still staying clear of the window. She hurriedly began scooping the glass into the tire, wincing when some of the shards cut her palms. Despite the blood that began to ooze from the cuts, she continued dumping handfuls of glass fragments into the tire.

Meanwhile, Mac carefully placed the airbag inside the tire, making sure that the crash sensor was facing upward. Once he was satisfied with the amount of glass inside the tire he motioned for Avery to get down again. Avery willingly complied.

"Jack, I'm gonna need you to put a bullet right here when I get this out there," Mac shouted. He pointed at the crash sensor and Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"You got it!" He shouted back. "But how are you going to get it out there?"

Mac shook his head and grinned. "I guess I'm going out there aren't I?"

Avery's eyes bulged but Jack just shrugged. "Don't get killed, ok?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Once this thing blows, you and Avery make a break for the door," Mac said as he pulled the tire back with him.

They had that advantage at least. The bad guys were approaching from the right side of the car but the door was at the far left wall. At least they didn't have to run _through_ the goons.

Mac opened the door and carefully dragged the tire out with him. More bullets started to fly the second the men saw him exiting the vehicle. Mac stayed low and rounded the vehicle, carefully coming up front. Jack returned fire in order to give Mac some time to get around.

Mac carefully placed the tire on the ground and sat down. He planted his feet on the tire the gave it a push. Fortunately, the goons were now only a few metres from the car and so the tire didn't have far to travel before it was in the perfect position.

There was a brief moment of confusion among the army impersonators before a blast came and suddenly glass was flying everywhere, along with the tire that was catapulted into the air. All 8 men shouted and then began cursing, hands flying to their heads and guns clattering on the pavement. Mac pushed himself off the ground, running towards the door that Jack and Avery had already reached. Jack yanked it open and pushed Avery in front of him. The girl kept her head low and scuttled inside while Jack looked back at Mac who was running full force, hands over his head and crouched low.

Slowly, the goons realized what was going on. Most were too busy clawing at their eyes and faces while morbidly looking at their bloody hands. But 2 of the men reached for the guns and took aim at the blond who hadn't yet made it inside. The first took a shot. Mac ducked lower when he heard the gunfire. The second aimed and pulled the trigger.

Suddenly Mac felt like his leg was on fire.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, a huge THANK-YOU to everyone who reviewed! Your feedback is** ** _very_** **encouraging and I absolutely love getting your opinions on my writing/ the story. :) This next chapter was a little bit more difficult to write as writing the character of Bozer was really hard for me, so please leave a reply and tell me how I did :). Also, as school is just around the corner (distant crying) it might be more challenging for me to update as often so I promise I'll try my best and please be patient! :P Keep the reviews coming and hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 3

It felt like someone had just drawn a hot kitchen knife across his thigh.

Mac cried out, grabbing his leg before attempting to break his fall. Jack, who was still standing at the door waiting for Mac, cursed before motioning for Avery to stay back and sprinting out to help his partner. Mac was already up and limping towards Jack by the time the Delta soldier reached him. Jack quickly slung his partner's arm around his neck and the two shuffled back to the open door where Avery was waiting.

The goons had pretty much stopped shooting now. Most of them were jogging away and Jack could only assume that they'd run out of ammo or had decided to devise a better plan when they realized that their current one was shot. Either way, the two DXS agents were thankful that they no longer had a torrent of bullets aimed at them.

Jack slammed the door shut behind him and Mac reached out for the wall, being careful to keep as much weight off his injured leg as possible. He winced slightly as he let his foot rest on the ground.

"Oh my gosh! He's been shot!" Avery gasped.

Mac bit his lip and shook his head. "It's only a graze," he responded as his hand hovered above the wound. He carefully pulled the fabric of his pants back to reveal the bloody lacerated skin. It wasn't too deep but it was throbbing horribly. Most of the sharp pain had already dulled and was replaced by the intense throbbing.

"I told you not to get shot," Jack teased as he examined the wound.

Mac grinned and looked up from his leg. "First of all, I didn't technically get shot. Second of all, you told me not to get killed; there's a difference." Mac winced as he pulled back more of the blood soaked fabric.

Jack wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Well, either way, that leg of yours doesn't look too good so we should probably get upstairs and get someone to take a look at it."

Jack reached his arm out, offering Mac some support as they boarded the elevator, but Mac just shook his head and limped behind them. He kept his injured leg as straight as possible, trying to avoid bending and moving it as much as walking would allow. His khaki pants soaked up the small trickle of blood exited the wound and Mac was careful not to let any of the blood get on the carpet.

Avery wrung her hands while the elevator ascended, eyeing Mac's wound worriedly. Meanwhile, Jack was on the phone with Riley, telling her what happened and asking her if she could get a camera on the goons that had just attacked them. He could hear Riley frantically typing in the background while trying to hack the security cameras outside the complex for a live feed or at least an image of the men they'd so nearly been killed by. She was good at what she did and Jack was sure that there'd be a blow-up image or video on the big screen waiting for them when they got to the conference room.

"It's really not so bad," Mac assured after seeing the worry lining Avery's face. Her brow furrowed at Mac's comment.

"It sure _looks_ bad.I mean look at all that blood." Avery looked away for a moment before turning her pinched face back to Mac.

"Nah, don't worry about it, Avery. Bozer, a good friend of Mac's, knows first aid. He told me he's all set to take care of Mac the minute we get up there. Plus, it's not the first time this guy's been shot," Jack told Avery.

"I wasn't shot for Pete's sake!" Mac protested. He leaned his elbows on the railing behind him to avoid touching anything with his bloody hands. Then he groaned and sighed. "Did you really tell Bozer?"

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and Bozer came rushing in with a rolling office chair. Pure concern was etched into every feature of his face as he lined the chair up beside Mac and threw his hands around him to assist him with sitting down. Mac tried to push him off but Bozer was not backing down.

"Bozer, I'm fine. _Really._ I can walk you know?" Mac objected. Bozer just stood upright and stared at Mac with the most serious frown Mac had ever seen him wear.

"Yeah and I'm sure that's what you say all the time. Actually, that's what you said when Nikki was allegedly killed and I'm pretty sure you were not _fine_ then. So I suggest you sit your butt down on that chair and let me worry about it," Bozer ordered. He pointed at the chair and stubbornly held his gaze with Mac.

Mac looked at Jack, hoping for support, but Jack just shrugged. Finally, Mac sighed and sat down. Bozer was ecstatic with Mac's compliance. He suddenly began to babble while wheeling Mac towards the conference room. He bent down awkwardly beside the chair in order to help Mac keep his leg elevated.

"You're sure lucky I've taken a first aid course and know how to deal with these kinds of injuries. Did you know Matty actually had me take a special course dealing with bullet wounds? I'm practically an expert," Bozer jabbered.

He wheeled Mac into the conference room where Matty and Riley were waiting. Riley quickly stood up and while visually examining Mac. Mac held up his hands and shook his head when he saw the visible worry that Matty and Riley were expressing.

"I'm fine. It's just a graze." He assured them.

Bozer suddenly cut in angrily. "It's not _just_ a graze. You haven't even let me look at it! Look at all this blood! You could be bleeding out and not even know it!" Bozer plopped Mac's leg up on the couch, quickly holding up a finger when Mac began to protest. "Just let me clean it up and then we'll talk."

Mac glanced back at Avery as she awkwardly shuffled into the room, curiously eyeing Matty and Riley. She buttoned her mouth shut when she saw the blown up image of the goons from the parking lot on the screen and beside it, a mug shot of her father.

"Hi Avery, I'm Matty and this is Riley. We're working on the team who's trying to get your father back. Why don't you take a seat?" Matty said soothingly. Avery nodded and stiffly sat down on the couch while everyone else in the room, including Bozer who was sorely concentrated on Mac's leg, exchanged surprised glances; obviously taken aback. They had never seen this motherly side of Matty and it seemed frighteningly unnatural for the woman.

"Well Mac, it looks like you've got a graze but it's not too deep so you're pretty lucky. I'm going to patch it up and give you some medication and you should be good to go. Now can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten for me?" Bozer asked.

Mac let out an airy laugh as Bozer wrapped his leg with gauze. "Like 2, maybe," Mac said. The wound still throbbed, but that was natural; it hardly called for any special attention besides a good bandage and a few painkillers.

Bozer suddenly stopped wrapping and stuck a finger out at Mac. "Don't you lie to me!" He warned.

"Bozer, I think it's ok. Mac's tough. Hell, he walked onto the elevator himself," Jack interrupted.

Bozer looked seriously taken aback. "You let him _walk_ onto the elevator himself?! This is an injured man right here! Did you not think that walking might irritate the wound further?" Bozer started to wave his arms around, becoming seriously animated as he spoke. Mac began to grin stupidly at Jack who looked like he was about to respond but had suddenly given up altogether as Bozer began to rant about their lack of common sense. "Look," Bozer scanned the room seriously, "I know you guys don't have the kind of first-aid training I do, but common sense! Please! You-"

"Boze. I think you patched him up pretty good. He looks great," Riley complimented, placing a shoulder on Bozer.

Bozer smiled brightly, more fixated on _who_ complimented him rather than what they said. "Yeah, it does look pretty good doesn't it?" He agreed. He plopped himself down on the couch proudly and pulled his hands behind his head. Mac nodded at Riley, giving her a silent 'thank-you' for shutting Bozer up.

"Now everyone listen up," Matty began, motioning towards the screen, "we need to get an ID on these men and maybe we can link them to the people who are responsible for taking Avery's father, Dan Vanteen." Her tone softened on the last bit and she smiled reassuringly at Avery. Avery looked exhausted but there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"We're lucky one of those goons happened to look back at the camera. We've got a clear enough picture to run it through facial recognition. It might take a few minutes though," Riley told Matty. Matty nodded and crossed her arms patiently.

"Let's find Dan Vanteen and get to the bottom of this then," Matty announced.

Everyone looked up as Riley transferred the facial recognition onto the big screen. Thousands of faces flashed before disappearing and being replaced by new ones until the computer suddenly froze one particular face.

Avery's shoulders drooped in defeat as she recognized the face on the screen.

Matty scanned the room, her eyes settling on Avery. "Well guys, I guess we're going to be looking into all connections surrounding Hadwin Gabel; one of the biggest drug lords in the country."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter! I hope it doesn't seem like a huge info dump, but I wanted to make sure I had the base of the plot set out for you guys so you knew what was happening. Tell me what you think! If you get confused just tell me and I'll try to explain/fix it. :)**

Chapter 4

Avery knew the man on the screen all too well. She hadn't recognized him in the parking garage or even from the blow-up image; but now that his mugshot was half the size of the wall, she couldn't tear her gaze away. She remembered that man all too clearly and a twinge of pain blossomed in her chest.

The room fell silent and Avery twitched awkwardly as she felt everyone's gaze fall on her. She knew why she was here: for protection that the police and even the CIA was unable to offer her; but suddenly the purpose of her presence had shifted dramatically. She had just gone from being a helpless teenage girl who was in need of protection to a juvenile delinquent who probably knew a lot more about the case than most of the agents in the room; all in a matter of minutes.

"Avery is this the man who…"Matty started, but she suddenly felt at loss for words when she saw the utter hopelessness washing over Avery's face. How did you even pose such questions to a girl who had her entire life destroyed by a single man?

"Yeah.." Avery whispered. She then threw her head in her hands and began rubbing her eyes wildly as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "This isn't even about my dad is it? It's all about me, right?" Avery asked in a high-pitched voice.

Matty nodded her head solemnly."It seems to look that way. But we can't know for sure until we get some sort of solid proof."

Avery began to shake her head angrily. She rubbed a tear soaked sleeve across her face and bit her quivering lip in defiance. "No. No way! I'm not letting that bastard kill my dad just because of me. I can't do that!"

"Avery, you can't leave-" Matty started.

"I sure damn well can!" Avery shouted back. She jumped off the couch and began to make a run for the door but Mac jumped up and stood in her way, grabbing her arms to prevent her from struggling. Avery pushed angrily from his grip, causing Mac to stumble the slightest and hiss in pain as his wound rubbed against the couch armrest.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Avery squealed. She reached out as if to help Mac but Mac simply bowed his head and held up a hand. Avery pulled back, clenching her fists; more out of worry rather than defense. "I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, it's fine, ok? Just sit down so we can get this sorted out. I _promise_ you that nothing's going to happen to you your dad. We're going to get him back in a way that doesn't involve putting you in danger," Mac soothed, placing his hands on Avery's shoulders. He bent down slightly so that he was at her eye level and raised his brow. Avery gave a weak nod and plopped back on the couch, defeated.

"Avery," Mac probed. Avery looked up sadly. "I _promise._ And trust me when I say this: I don't break my promises. Ever."

Avery nodded slowly, but a flicker of hope shimmered in her eyes.

"Maybe I'm just out of the loop here, but what's the big deal here? Who's this guy and what's his connection with Avery?" Jack asked, rubbing the stubble on his jaw curiously.

"Dan Vanteen was one of the best CIA agents and just over a year ago he was undercover and working for Gabel," Matty began. She tapped the screen and a full sized image came up of Dan Vanteen shaking hands with Gabel. It was obvious that the image had been taken from a security camera somewhere in the back alleys of LA. "The CIA had intel on the organization Gabel was running and were aware that they weren't just working with the production and smuggling of drugs across the country, but also with the build and supply of technologically advanced weapons that could start a World War Three. The company was called the Cobra syndicate. Dan went into deep cover working with Gabel in order to gather information about the organization in an attempt to bring them down. Originally, all he had to do was smuggle some drugs here and there in order to gain their trust and then from there it was supposed to be easy sailing; get the information and get out. The CIA was looking for the names of people in power within the organization: the people who made up the head of the corporation. They also needed locations where the weapons were being produced and where their work was originating from. But the Cobra syndicate doesn't welcome newbies all that quickly and the operation stretched on a lot longer than it should've. The CIA lost a lot of contact with Dan and eventually, it seemed as though their agent was working for the organization rather than against it. The CIA had a lot of intel suggesting that Dan had completely turned on them. It was during this time that Avery found out about her father and his involvement with Gabel. Dan was in really deep and since Avery didn't know about his job as an agent at the CIA, things got a little dicey. As far as she was concerned, he was the manager of an international banking company who had made a mistake and entangled himself in the world of drugs. Gabel began to show up their house, threatening Avery's father when he was poking around too much. He gave Dan extra jobs to make up for it and Dan was unable to keep up; he was too busy trying to gather information. Of course, he hadn't gotten anything of interest for the CIA and he was in extremely deep. That's when Avery made the mistake of stepping in. She thought that if she helped her father, that maybe he would be able to leave the Cobra syndicate and Gabel would stop showing up at her house. She began to work for Gabel, without her father's knowledge of course, and actually gathered a lot more intel about the syndicate than her father ever did. She didn't know at the time, but Gabel allowed her to work with a lot of people that were high in power. Because of her age, Gabel didn't even bother with the kinds of security precautions he had in place with his other workers. It was a late night in August when Avery was caught smuggling drugs to a client in town and she was arrested. She was thrown in jail and that's when her father found out about her involvement in his operation and she found out what he actually did for a living. The CIA got her out of prison when they found out what kind of information she might know. Together they worked on bringing many of the heads down, but somehow the information was leaked and Gabel found out what was going on. He then went after many of Avery's friends and family. He murdered 23 people in total."

The room went quiet for what seemed like hours. Avery sat, sobbing uncontrollably while Riley rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. Jack blew out a low whistle and Mac sat silently, chin rested on his fists, staring at the man on the screen.

"So Gabel blames Avery for all this? And now he's kidnapped her dad in an attempt to get to her?" Bozer asked suddenly.

Matty nodded. "He blames Avery for all the damages that the CIA caused the Cobra syndicate. And it wouldn't be above him to take her father to get to Avery. After the entire incident, Avery was in witness protection for a long while, but somehow Gabel found her and so she was placed in a protective service provided by the CIA. Even then, Gabel found her. That time, Gabel's men were actually able to kidnap her and I can only assume they were going to deliver her personally to Gabel before Mac intercepted them."

Mac held up a hand, suddenly woken from his deep concentration. "Woah, you said _damages,_ as in, the Cobra syndicate is still in operation?"

"Yes. The CIA thought that they had taken down the Cobra syndicate, only to find that the organization was much, _much,_ larger than original intel suggested. The distribution of weaponry is active internationally," Maddie informed him.

"But if the CIA knew all about Gabel's involvement in this, then why is this goon not rotting in jail already?" Jack asked, somewhat angrily.

Matty pursed her lips before responding. "Believe it or not, the CIA wanted him to stay active so that they'd still have a tail on the Cobra syndicate. Gabel's their only connection to the organization as everyone else who is operating in the organization is still unknown. They still have an open operation on these guys and they're willing to let a man like Gabel stay free in order to pin them. However, Gabel's been staying low since the damages and when Avery's father went missing, they had no other option than to call in help from the Phoenix foundation. The CIA isn't quick to admit when they need help, but now that's it's involving one of their own agents and they were assuming man they should've thrown in prison a year ago, they're calling in the reserves. They need our help to protect Avery and her family. Of course, now we have solid evidence that it really is Gabel. The CIA was assuming it was him, but until now, they didn't have anything to go on."

Suddenly the door opened and everyone turned as a young man in a white coat poked his head inside.

"I'm here for Avery," he explained as he held up an identification card.

Avery looked extremely alarmed before Riley placed a hand on her arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, that's just Dean. He's on the Phoenix medical staff. I called him up because I figured you'd want someone to take a look at that gash on your forehead," Riley explained. "He can also show you to where you'll be staying for the time being, here in Phoenix."

Avery tensed when Riley mentioned her temporary living quarters and Riley gave her arm a squeeze. "Don't worry, I'll pop by after we're done here and fill you in, ok? I can also keep you company if you want."

Avery gave Riley a small smile of thanks and nodded. Dean held the door open wider and Avery slowly got up, following him out of the room. As soon as they were gone, everyone turned their attention back to the situation at hand.

"So how are we going to get Avery's father back? And after that, what can we really do to protect them from Gabel? I mean, if the Cobra syndicate is still operating, what's going to keep them from finding Avery again? They already found her twice after all," Riley asked.

Once again, the room quieted. Finally, Mac broke the silence. "Well, if _we_ bring down the Cobra syndicate, then they can't go after Avery's father anymore, right?"

Everyone gaped at Mac. Even Jack, who had the utmost respect for the guy who had probably saved his life more times than he could count, began to laugh.

"Dude, you're talking about bringing down an organization that hasn't even been cracked by the CIA! You know that's insane, right?" Jack insisted.

"Yeah, but I also made a promise to keep Avery and her dad safe, and I don't know how else to do that if Gabel's still out there. If we get her father back, the cycle's just going to repeat over and over until Gabel get's to Avery," Mac argued.

"Mac's got a point…" Riley mused. "From the sounds of it, Gabel's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. And if the CIA isn't going to lock him up until the Cobra syndicate is dismantled, then he might be out there for a while."

"Mac, we're talking about a long operation. It could be months, even years before you could get any intel good enough to bring these people down," Matty insisted.

"This is insane! There's got to be a better way to do this!" Bozer protested.

Jack sighed and plopped himself on one of the chairs, slouching down so that he could lean his head on the back of the chair. "This is crazy. Y'all know this is an _international_ organization, yeah?"

Mac suddenly stood up and turned to his colleagues, studying each one of their faces intently. "Look, if someone's got a better idea, I'll be the first to ask for it; but until someone suggests something more worthwhile, I don't see any other way."

Mac turned back to Matty who was standing silently, lips pursed and arms firmly folded across her chest. Everyone in the room was deep in thought, desperately searching for an alternative choice. The Phoenix Foundation had never taken on an organization this strong and, from the sounds of it, this lethal. It was going to be a long haul if they agreed to it.

Bozer was the first to break the silence this time, worry and complete hopelessness lacing his voice. "Mac, c'mon, this is like a death wish! There's got to be a better way!"

Jack sighed in defeat. "I don't think there is Boze. And as much as I hate agreeing with this blondie bonehead over here, I guess Mac's right. He made a promise, hell, _we_ made a promise to protect these people the moment we agreed to do this operation. It's now our responsibility to bring down this syndicate, whether we like it or not."

Riley nodded slowly in agreement.

"So are we all in agreement then?" Matty asked, scanning the room quietly.

Each and every agent nodded until it was only Bozer left, elbows resting on his knees and head in his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut worriedly before sucking in a large breath. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Good," Matty affirmed. Then she turned solemnly to Mac, looking over the agent carefully. "Mac? I've giving you a final chance to back out of this. You're going to be doing most of the leg work on this op, and I can't promise you the kind of protection you'd receive on any other regular operation. So this is your last chance: are you sure about this?"

Mac nodded so surely it almost made Jack grin at his partner's bravery. "I made a promise and I'm gonna keep it."

"Ok then. Everyone, let's get to work. We need a game plan for how Mac is going to infiltrate the Cobra syndicate and bring them down. And if I see any weaknesses in your strategy we go straight back to the drawing board. I want a plan that's going work and not get Mac killed the second he's in. Got that?"

Everyone nodded understandingly and began to discuss strategies for getting Mac in without Gabel suspecting anything. They began sifting through files on Gabel; most of which contained information provided by Avery herself. Mac was about to join them when Matty pulled him aside. She cocked her head towards the door and Mac hesitated before following her.

Once they were clear of the room, she closed the door and turned back to Mac.

"Mac, I think right now you should focus all your attention on learning everything you can about Gabel." She motioned for Mac to follow her and she led him to a small room, packed full of files and a large screen, one similar to that in the conference room, mounted on the far wall. "If you're going to win over Gabel's trust, you're going to have to understand the man in every aspect: physically and psychologically." Matty waved her arm over the stacks of cardboard boxes. "Here's where we keep all the information on Gabel; from where he sleeps to where he stops to tie his shoes every day. He's been closely monitored the last year, despite his efforts to lay low."

Mac glanced over the room and cringed. He'd have a lot of reading ahead of him.

He moved towards the table, pulling out a chair and slouching down. "I guess I better get started," He mused. He flipped open the closest file to him and leaned forwards.

Matty watched silently while Mac began to read. Only a few moments passed before Mac paused, glancing up from the file. He narrowed his eyes curiously at Matty who was surrounded by stacks of boxes taller than herself.

"Are you going to just stand there…?" Mac began, somewhat confused.

Matty cocked her head the slightest. "Mac, I know I've always chewed you out for your ideas of improvisation, but to be honest, it's the one thing that I think is going to help you survive during this op. I just wanted to let you know that I fully believe in your abilities."

Mac gave a small smile. "Thanks, but I can't help feeling this almost sounds like a goodbye..."

Matty glanced at the floor before reconnecting her gaze with Mac. "Gabel's a cold blooded killer Mac…" She glanced at the floor again, as if fighting to find the words. "I just wanted to let you know how I felt before we get started. Just in case…"

Mac clenched his jaw but nodded understandingly. Matty sighed before awkwardly turning and leaving.

Mac turned his attention back to the file and took in the face of the man he'd soon be working with. Hadwin Gabel's cold, calculating glare stared back at him from the mug shot. Mac shivered, then began to read.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Also... what do you guys think of Avery so far? Do you like her character and do you enjoy reading her interactions with Mac? Personally, I love writing scenes with her and Mac. I like the idea of Mac being a sort of "older brother" to her. But it'd be awesome if you guys could tell me what you think. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 5

4 hours.

That was how long Mac had spent studying Gabel's files. It was 9:00 now, and most of the staff at Phoenix were heading home for the night. As far as Mac knew, the rest of the gang had all left. They didn't have a solid plan yet, but they did have a couple of ideas that they were going to build on tomorrow. Mac had raided the coffee machines down the hall multiple times and he wasn't sure if it was the crash following his high dose of caffeine or just pure psychological exhaustion that was getting to him, but he knew he'd have to quit soon.

During the four hours of reading up on Gabel, he'd found out a lot of unsettling things about the man he was going to work with. Most of them weren't surprising for a man in Gabel's line of work, but either way, they weren't exactly the most comforting things to read about at this time at night. Things like the way he tortured and murdered his victims were enough to give anyone the shivers.

Mac closed his file and pushed it aside, rubbing his face lazily. It was probably best he went home for the night. He'd need a good night's rest for the rest of the reading he had yet to do. On top of that, the gang would probably have a more solid plan tomorrow and would need Mac to give his opinion on it. He was, after all, the one going undercover; they couldn't send him in with a plan he didn't approve of.

Suddenly there was a small knock on the door and Avery poked her head in. She looked exhausted and was now wearing a bulky sweatshirt and jogging pants along with a pink pair of slippers. No doubt, she was probably heading to bed herself.

"Hey," Mac breathed. He attempted to plaster a smile on his face but he only managed a small grimace. Avery grinned understandingly as she took in the room lined with boxes filled with files and USB sticks.

Avery inched into the room and took a seat at the table with Mac. She plopped her elbows on the wooden surface and leaned forwards. "Riley told me that you're going to take down the Cobra Syndicate," she said. It wasn't a question, but more of a matter-of-fact statement in order to initiate a conversation. Mac sighed and rubbed his eyes again.

"Yeah. That's the plan." He shook his head, trying to ward off the fatigue that was setting in. "Sorry, I should have come and talked to you after we were done."

Avery just shook her head. "No, that's fine. You've got a lot of work ahead of you. Plus Riley filled me in already. She stayed for a bit and we talked too.." Avery trailed off, a distant look clouding her eyes.

Mac let out an airy sigh. "Avery, I can't imagine what you're going through, with your father and everything that Gabel did to you," Mac started. Avery ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"I'm just glad that there's someone who's willing to do something about it. Until you guys, I thought that I'd always be running from him. The CIA wasn't doing squat about it and I thought that it was all my fault, that all the people he murdered was because of me." Avery pulled her knees to her chest and tucked her chin on top of her legs.

"It's not your fault. You were doing what any kid would have done in that situation. You wanted to help your dad, and I'm sure anyone would have done the same thing given the circumstances. It was Gabel you murdered those people. Not you," Mac assured her in a steady but firm voice.

Avery nodded and blinked away the tears that were welling in her eyes. "I know that. It just _feels_ like it's my fault. After the whole incident, Dad promised that we'd move away and start over but the CIA was really sticky about the whole thing. Since we were witnesses and all, they wanted us to stick around. And of course, you know how that turned out."

Mac nodded and let out a slow breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm completely rambling. I just wanted to come see you and thank you for everything you're doing for me. I know it's going to be really hard to bring these guys down, but… just thank you," Avery had brought her voice into a small whisper. She gave Mac a smile and rubbed her hands together. Despite her sweats, she was cold. It was time to get to bed.

Mac cleared his throat and began to pack up the files. "You should probably get to bed soon. You look exhausted," He stated. Avery nodded and got up.

"You know, you don't look much better," she teased, wrinkling her freckled nose. Mac chuckled in agreement and stuffed another bulky file into the worn out cardboard box.

Suddenly there was a distant groan and the entire room was plunged into darkness.

Avery stifled a scream as she tripped over a box lying on the ground. Mac froze in place, a bulky file still in hand. Something was wrong- he wasn't sure how he knew it, but it was instinct. He could already feel the adrenaline pumping through his blood.

"Is it a power failure or something?" Avery asked. Her voice sounded like it had been amplified on a loudspeaker because of the eerie silence that crept over the building. Mac held up a hand to silence her but realized she wouldn't be able to see him.

"Shhh…" he whispered. He felt his way around until his arm bumped into Avery's side. The room was pitch black, and despite his eyes adjusting to the dark, he could only make out the outlines of some boxes and the table. There were no windows in the room to let in the moonlight and he doubted he was going to be able to see much more.

"Wha-" Avery began but then she stopped as the realization hit her. Despite the darkness, Mac could see her eyes bulge in horror. She began shaking her head frantically and looking around the room, straining her eyes to see through the darkness. Her breathing had suddenly become extremely rapid and Mac could see her working up to a panic attack.

Mac quickly grabbed hold of her arms and quieted her. He brought his face closer to hers so that she could make out his features and he spoke softly in an attempt to reassure her. "Avery, listen to me. Nothing. Is. Going. To. Happen. To. You. I promise. Ok?" He enunciated each word carefully to emphasize his point.

Avery gave small, unconvinced nod. "How… how did they find me?"

"Look, I don't even know if it's them. It _could_ be a power failure," Mac, mused.

"But you don't think it is," Avery stated. Mac pursed his lips in agreement.

"They were waiting for us in the garage when we got here, which means they knew where we were taking you," Mac explained.

"But they left, didn't they?" Avery was grasping for straws.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they couldn't come back. We had an armed Phoenix team posted for the night, just in case. But if they found a way to cut the power..." Mac mulled over his words, trying to find the most delicate way to say them. "Well, let's just say they would have just evened out their odds of getting inside."

There was a loud crash down the hallway and Mac could make out the muted screams of staff members who were working late, as they were pulled from their offices.

"I want every room searched!" A voice commanded. The sounds of footsteps and doors being thrown open echoed in the hall.

Avery froze, hands gripping Mac's arms forcefully, as she recognized the voice.

Gabel had come.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter, sorry for the long wait. Of course, I chose to write this fanfic during one of the busiest months of the year ;P. Anyways, hope you enjoy and please tell me what you think!**

Chapter 6

Avery and Mac had nowhere to go.

They would most likely be spotted if they tried to leave the room. Judging by the amount of light that was bouncing off the walls in the hallway, Gabel's men had several flashlights handy. Even if they risked going further down the hall, there was no exit at the far end of the corridor. There were only conference rooms and offices. They were completely trapped.

Mac dug into his pocket and drew out his phone and swiss army knife. Hurriedly he handed the phone to Avery and instructed her to call Jack and tell him what was going on. Meanwhile, he began scouring the room for something- anything, that would give him an idea of what to do.

Had this been a regular operation, he might have constructed a weapon from the supplies in the room; but there was a girl's life on the line. Mac knew that trying to hold off Gabel's men until Jack arrived would never work. He had to make sure Avery was safe first: that was his main priority.

That's when he saw it: an air conditioning vent in the ceiling. It was small, and there was certainly no way he would be able to fit inside, but Avery would be able to. She was still small enough that she'd be able to fold herself inside if she were careful. She'd be completely invisible to anyone who came in the room.

Mac jumped onto the table hurriedly unscrewing the bolts that held the vent in place. He could hear Avery whispering into the phone, her voice shaking the slightest. The other line was silent, save for a shuffling noise that was most likely Jack on his way to the Phoenix building. The seconds ticked away mercilessly as he carefully unscrewed each bolt individually until the grill came off. He motioned for Avery to join him and she clumsily crawled onto the table.

Mac bent down, clasping his hands together to make a purchase for Avery to stand on while he boosted her up, into the air conditioning shaft. Avery took hold of Mac's shoulders to steady herself and glanced up hesitantly.

"You're not going to fit," she realized, suddenly alarmed. Mac grinned and cocked his head the slightest.

"I guess I'm going to have to improvise," he whispered back. Avery knit her brow together and opened her mouth to protest. She was cut off by Gabel's voice as he shouted more orders to his men. Mac extended his arms, silently motioning for Avery to hurry and she quickly stepped up. Mac boosted her as far as he could and then let her wriggle her way into the shaft. He then carefully screwed the bolts back in place and was about to hop down when Jack's distant voice came from the mobile phone that Avery was still holding.

"Mac! Mac, what the hell are you doing?" Jack shouted.

Avery pushed the phone towards the vent, holding it as close as she could manage.

"I'm going to do something incredibly stupid, that's what," Mac whispered back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the flashlight beams becoming brighter as Gabel's men approached.

"Well that's no surprise," Jack quipped as he hopped into his car. "And what exactly would this stupid thing be?"

Mac ground his jaw, he was running out of time. "Look, Jack, I don't have time to explain, but whatever you do, don't let Gabel know that you work for Phoenix. As far as you're concerned, you work for me," Mac babbled.

The footsteps were drawing even closer.

"But _you_ work for Phoenix! Mac! Mac?" Jack shouted. But Mac had already hopped down and was approaching the door, heading straight for Gabel's men. The line suddenly became silent as Jack realized that Mac was no longer there.

Mac headed for the door and strolled into the hall, situating himself in one of the brightest beams from the flashlights Gabel's men had. Several heads turned in surprise and two of Gabel's men began to approach him, guns in hand.

"Gabel, I was hoping I'd run into you," Mac shouted. A man dressed in all black clothing whipped around, exposing his face. The man was Gabel; anger and surprise contorting his features.

Mac didn't get a chance to say much more as the two goons took hold of his arms and dragged him down the hallway towards Gabel. Mac didn't fight or try to run, he simply let the goons drag him closer and closer to Gabel.

Gabel's men were about to throw Mac into one of the offices where several other terrified Phoenix staff members were huddling when Gabel held up a hand. The men immediately stopped and hurled Mac towards their boss.

Gabel studied Mac intently, cocking his head slightly. Mac tried not to shudder at the man before him. Despite all his reading on Gabel, being with him in the same building, in the same hallway for that matter, was terrifying. Gabel towered over him, he was practically the size of a football player. An ugly tattoo stretched over half of his face and his head was cleanly shaven although he had a bit of stubble clinging to his jaw. The muscles were prominent beneath his dark clothing and as he crossed his arms in front of his massive chest the muscles in his arms rippled. According to his file, Gabel had spent some time in the ring before he rose up in power within the Cobra syndicate, and Mac didn't need a file to tell him that the man had won almost every round.

"How do you know me?" Gabel demanded. Despite his appearance, his voice was soft, almost gentle. He had a slight German accent but it was barely noticeable.

"My people have been doing a lot of research on you, Gabel. We were hoping we could do some business together," Mac responded, trying to keep his voice as neutral and steady as possible.

Gabel snickered. "Your people don't do business with men like me," he stated bluntly.

The two goons began to push Mac towards the office of hostages, but Mac pulled back. "That office I just came from, it's full of boxes, dozens of files all about you. I can make that information go away if you decide to accept my offer," Mac pushed.

Gabel held up his hand again, suddenly interested. He jutted his chin towards the office and one of his men quickly went to check if Mac was telling the truth. A few moments of awkward silence filled the hall before Gabel's man poked his head out and nodded at his boss.

Gabel's face suddenly clouded over and frustration coated his features. "Why would you want to do business with me? It was people like you who did damage to my company. I hardly think you've had a sudden change of heart," Gabel mocked. He narrowed his eyes angrily at Mac and pursed his lips.

"Now that's where you made your mistake Gabel," Mac chuckled. He paused for a moment and Gabel leaned forward, intrigued. "I don't _work_ here. I just happen to _be_ here. I saw you and your men when you came and cut the power. I was simply waiting for you. You see, I've wanted to do business with you for quite some time. It didn't take long for me to track you down and follow your scent here. I know who you're looking for, Gabel, and I know why you're looking for her. Now, if I was able to get that kind of information, just think how easy it'd be for an organization such as this, or the CIA to track you down. They'll pin you soon enough. But if you agree to _my_ terms, I can make that all go away."

Mac held his phony smile, desperately hoping his bluff would work. His palms were sweaty and he resisted the urge to wipe them on his pants. He knew that if Gabel didn't believe him he'd be a goner. He was already surrounded front and back by Gabel's men. He was completely at the man's mercy.

Gabel was silent, eyeing Mac curiously as if he would be able to physically see the lie on Mac's face. He tilted his head the slightest, then grinned. "Where is she?" He demanded.

Mac knew right away that Gabel was talking about Avery. "I think we've had a misunderstanding. You see, Avery, the girl you so desperately want to kill, is an asset to me. She's done a fair amount of work for me, and no, this time she's not reporting it all to the CIA. And I'm not willing to give her up. In fact, she's requested to have her father back and I'm quite willing to comply. Of course, that would require your cooperation. If you let her father go, I will make that room of files disappear. And once we've got that business out of the way, I'm willing to strike up a deal with you. I have several contacts who are extremely interested in your weaponry and if you agree to work with me, I can make you a millionaire."

Gabel blinked twice. He wasn't used to being disobeyed. Gabel drew his lips in a tight line, once again studying Mac. Mac could see from the way his hands twitched and his eyes wandered, that the man was seriously considering what he had just told him.

Suddenly Gabel took a step towards Mac so that he was now only inches from Mac's face. Slowly, he bent down and began to pat Mac down, searching for weapons, all the while keeping eye contact with Mac. He grinned when he hit Mac's knife in his right pocket. Gingerly he slipped his hand into Mac's pocket and pulled out the Swiss army knife, gently clicking open the blade and examining morbidly.

"What should I call you?" Gabel asked quietly, twisting the tiny blade in his monstrous fingers.

"My name is Angus MacGyver, but you can call me Mac," Mac replied. There was no point in making up a fake name; he knew Gabel had the resources to figure out whether or not his identity was real. On top of that, DXS had his identity as a government agent securely hidden and so, unless Gabel had contacts in the secret services, there was no way for him to know. If he was going to get in with Gabel, he'd rather be called by his real name; it was, after all, going to be a long operation.

Suddenly Gabel lunged, driving the blade of Mac's knife into his left shoulder and pinning him against the wall. Mac was too surprised to even scream. Instead, he let out a horrified gasp, instinctively grabbing hold of Gabel's wrists as if it was going to keep the man from pushing the blade any deeper. Blood was already trickling down his shoulder and his shirt was soaking up as much as the material would allow. Gabel began twisting the knife and Mac let out a grunt.

"Mac, I'm not playing games here," Gabel whispered, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Mac squeezed his eyes shut as Gabel wiggled the blade and pain lanced through his shoulder while another trickle of blood poured from the wound.

"I'm not playing any games either," Mac grunted through gritted teeth.

Gabel suddenly eased off the blade, pulling it out slowly. Mac gasped again, taking in a shuddering breath before doubling over and clutching his shoulder while Gabel backed away. "I believe you," Gabel chuckled, eyeing Mac's blood on the blade of the knife. "At least for now."

Mac forced himself upright, still clutching his injured shoulder. It had worked. Gabel believed him and he had just bought himself the undercover operation with the Cobra syndicate.

"If you believed me, then why did you feel the need to stab me?" Mac hissed. He knew he was walking a fine line, but he had to sell his character to Gabel. He knew it wouldn't be easy.

Gabel laughed. "I had to be sure you were telling the truth. Now, _Mac,"_ Gabel glossed over Mac's name, emphasizing the 'c' curiously, "surely you didn't come here alone?"

Almost as if on cue, there were distant sounds of gunshots from the lower levels. Mac could only assume Jack had finally arrived. He just prayed that Jack wouldn't spoil his whole bluff.

Mac sucked his lips into his mouth and raised his brow. "Of course not." He let a morbid smile break out on his face; a trademark grin he had learned from all his time spent with Murdoc.

"Well then, we'd better get down to business. Now, of course, there is still a small chance that you are lying to me." Gabel paused, looking genuinely upset about the prospect. "So I'm sure you won't object to a few of my men accompanying you to your current place of residence to make sure you don't contact anyone we wouldn't want you talking to. In the meantime, I will arrange to have the girl's father released. In the 24 hours after this happens, I expect you to stay true to your word and have that entire room destroyed. If this doesn't happen, then both you, the girl, and her father will be dead."


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and please tell me what you think. Thank you to everyone who has been leaving reviews, I really appreciate the feedback and it's super encouraging to read your opinions on the chapters and my writing :) Keep it up please! Also, a side-note: I am, by no means, an expert when it comes to stab wounds (or any sort of wounds for that matter) and so please forgive me if this chapter is a bit unrealistic when it comes to Mac's wound and how he treats it. My knowledge in this area does not reach beyond grade 11 biology and google, so it might not be accurate. :( Hope you enjoy regardless!**

Chapter 7

Mac was feeling woozy.

Blood now covered the whole front of his shirt. And although it looked a lot worse than it probably was, he knew he had to stop the bleeding soon. Gabel had done enough damage with the knife that would result in the wound getting infected or worse if he didn't get medical help soon.

They had made it down to the lower levels now, and Mac was being escorted via van by two of Gabel's men to a dingy motel on the far side of town where Mac had claimed he was currently staying. Avery was still safe; tucked inside the air conditioning shaft until Jack came and got her. As for Jack and the Phoenix team, Mac had been able to convince Gabel that they were all his men; operating under _his_ orders. Jack had very hesitantly obeyed Mac when Mac had ordered him to stand down. Gabel's men had also complied very unwillingly when orders were given to allow Mac's men leave the building in peace.

Jack had given Mac a horrified glance of concern when he had seen the blood on his partner's shirt, but he hadn't given away Mac's bluff. Mac was grateful for it, but right now he was almost wishing Jack had simply opened fire on Gabel. He was feeling sicker and sicker by the second, and at this point, he was wishing he was in a hospital and Gabel was dead. Of course, both he and Jack knew that if they killed Gabel they'd have to face the CIA and that was one thing they best kept off their list of dumb things to do.

Mac closed his eyes and took a breath. He was beginning to feel cold and clammy and he was near exhaustion. He should've been in bed hours ago and he knew the chances of sleep were now very slim. It would have been nice to get a good night's sleep before the operation, but obviously, that option had just been thrown out the window.

He pulled his hand away from the wound in his shoulder, wincing as the short release of pressure caused the wound to sizzle in pain. His hand was already covered in a thin coat of sticky, warm blood.

"We're going to have to stop at a hospital or clinic so I can get this treated," Mac announced, eyeing the blood with a tight grimace on his face.

The driver, a tall lanky man with a mop of blond hair and still visible acne scars, snorted. "Our orders were to bring you straight to your motel room. No stops," He sneered.

Mac didn't reply, instead, he ground his jaw in frustration. He couldn't be expecting treatment to be much better from Gabel. The man was probably hoping that he'd bleed out before they made it to their destination.

Mac ran his tongue over his dry lips, suddenly wishing he had picked a motel that was closer to the Phoenix Foundation. The drive alone would be another 15 minutes and they'd already been driving for 20.

The time went agonizingly slow. Mac attempted to keep pressure on the wound, but he couldn't help but nod off a few times before the vehicle came to a stop in front of the motel. He was angry with himself for being so tired; he had to alert and ready in situations like these. He couldn't risk being caught off guard. On the other hand, it was difficult to _not_ be caught off guard when he had been bleeding from a stab wound for over 35 minutes.

"You're going to have to book the room. I can't go in looking like this," Mac mumbled to Gabel's men.

This time, the man in the back, a short plump guy who was probably in his late 40s, replied. "I thought you said you had a room here," He barked angrily.

Mac let out a long sigh, leaning his head against the headrest. "I like to switch up my locations from time to time. Plus, this wouldn't be such a hassle if your boss didn't shove a knife in my shoulder."

"You better watch your mouth hot-shot. It's that kind of tone that got that knife shoved in you in the first place," the blond snapped, jabbing an accusing finger at Mac.

"Just go book a room, Ethan," the older man snarled.

Ethan grumbled something under his breath before slipping out of the vehicle and heading towards the lobby entrance. The older man kept his eyes trained on Mac, fingering his gun ominously. Mac tried to ignore him and keep his focus on his wound. He slouched awkwardly in the passenger's seat, and he hardly felt like he had the motivation to sit up. He would sleep here if he had a choice.

A few minutes passed before Mac saw Ethan making his way back towards the vehicle, swinging a set of keys from his fingers. The older man grunted, ordering Mac to get out of the vehicle and Mac did so sluggishly. He followed Ethan, hand across his chest and clutching his shoulder while blinking periodically to ward off the exhaustion that was clouding his mind.

Ethan shoved the key into the lock, jiggling it slightly before pushing the door open and flicking on the lights. The room itself was pathetic; stained pink curtains that clashed with the green wallpaper plastered on the walls and a small dingy bed lined with rumpled sheets and a thin comforter. However, there was a reason Mac had picked this motel; it wasn't near any busy areas of the city and so they'd attract little attention if something happened. There was also a small kitchenette built in the room that he grimly realized he was going to need.

The three men shuffled into the room, Gabel's men stood by the door while Mac made his way into the bathroom, stripping the shower of the plastic curtain and dragging it slowly into the kitchen. He laid it out on the floor as neatly as he could.

"What the hell you doing?" The older man demanded.

"Well, I've got to do something about this wound, and I'd rather not get blood on the floor. Somehow I don't think the motel maids would take to a bloodstained floor too well," Mac responded sarcastically.

The older man snorted but didn't say more. Instead, he bent over the nightstand and unplugged the phone, then cut the wires so that Mac wouldn't be able to use it to contact anyone.

"I can't stand this much blood," he murmured. He tossed the broken phone on the bed, then dragged Ethan outside.

"Don't do anything stupid," Ethan ordered before the older man slammed the door.

Mac was secretly grateful the men had gone outside. He didn't want an audience for what he was about to do. Mac pulled a knife from the cutlery drawer and placed it on the stove element, turning the element on as hot as it would go. Then he grabbed a dish towel and wrapped it around the handle of the knife while leaving another dishtowel on the counter. Slowly and painfully he stripped off his shirt and threw it on the floor, then he dragged a chair from the table and placed it near the stove.

Mac examined the wound thoroughly, cringing at what he saw. Gabel had done a lot more damage than Mac had originally thought. The wound was much deeper and wider than what should have been expected from a small swiss army knife. However, Gabel was a born killer; he knew how to inflict pain and cause injury using the smallest of tools.

Mac leaned over the sink awkwardly, positioning his shoulder so that it would be under the run of water once he turned the tap on. Slowly, he turned the knob, and a stream of warm water poured on the wound. Pain lanced through his body and Mac felt his knees buckle. He stumbled to his left but managed to grab hold of the cupboard handle with a bloody right hand. He closed his eyes, then took a deep breath to calm himself.

Bloody water gurgled down the drain and Mac glanced back at his wound; it was fairly clean. Taking another deep breath, Mac ducked his shoulder back under the water, jerking away when he was sure the wound was washed well. Clumsily, he knocked the tap shut and rounded the chair, plopping down tiredly. Sweat was already dripping down his face and neck. He could taste the saltiness in his mouth when he licked his chapped lips. Mac was hardly sure he had it in him to do what he had to do next. But he had to stop the bleeding and he knew a hospital or any sort of medical supplies were out the question. The wound was too large to leave open and he didn't have anything to use as stitches.

He only had one option left: he had to cauterize the wound.

Mac gingerly picked the knife up from the stove. He could feel the heat radiating through the towel that was wrapped around the handle and he was already having a hard time controlling his breathing just thinking about what he had to do next. He stuffed the extra dishtowel in his mouth and bit down, then began to mentally count down from 5. Once he hit 1, Mac took another large breath, then pressed the hot knife on the wound. He forced himself to count to 2; he had to cauterize the wound in small intervals or else he would risk damaging the tissue further. As soon as he reached 2, Mac pulled the knife away and doubled over, taking in muffled gasps of air through the dish towel. He clenched his jaw and groaned, knowing he'd have to repeat the process 5 or 6 times before the wound would stop bleeding entirely.

By the third time, Mac had tears running down his face and his hair was soaked in sweat. By the fourth time, he was barely able to hold the knife to his flesh for more than a second before he pulled away, nearly screaming. By the sixth time, his hands were shaking so violently he doubted he would have been able to repeat the process again if he had to. Thankfully, the wound was no longer bleeding. The skin surrounding it was dark and shriveled; smelling of burnt flesh and blood. But Mac was satisfied.

Mac slumped back into the chair, cradling his injured arm against his body. A quick glance at the clock showed him it was already 2:00 in the morning. He wondered how long he'd have to stay at the motel before Gabel contacted him. Would it be a day? A week? Or would he call right after he was convinced that the room full of evidence had been successfully destroyed?

Mac almost wanted to laugh. He'd been surprised that that bluff had worked; Gabel had to know that all the evidence the secret services had on him hadn't been stuffed into one single room. But then, maybe he did. Gabel was a madman, hellbent on killing a girl whom he blamed for the casualties he'd suffered. A girl whom _he'd_ employed. A girl who was the daughter of an esteemed CIA agent. Gabel had to be out of his right mind.

Suddenly Mac wondered how Phoenix was going to convince Gabel that the evidence had been destroyed. He'd given orders to Jack, as part of the bluff, that the whole room had to be demolished; but he hadn't actually specified _how._ He just hoped that they'd stage something big enough to satisfy Gabel and convince him to keep up his end of his deal; letting Avery's father go.

Slowly, Mac pushed himself off the chair and began to clean up. It was a slow, agonizing process and he nearly passed out from exhaustion several times before he was convinced that he'd scrubbed all the bloodstains off the counters and the chair. Then he dragged the shower curtain back to the bathroom and hung it up- another tiring task. Since he only had one good arm to use, the process took far too long. By the time he had finished it was already 3 in the morning. Finally, he washed up as best he could without aggravating his wound and stripped down to his underwear and hopped in bed.

As much as he didn't feel comfortable sleeping while two of Gabel's men were keeping watch, Mac knew he needed the sleep more than anything. The last thing he needed was to be drowsy when Gabel decided to show up. He'd just have to hope that the men outside didn't get any bright ideas while he was sleeping. On the other hand, Mac was a light sleeper, and he figured he'd have enough time to react if the men _did_ decide to do something.

Mac closed his eyes, allowing the exhaustion to finally take over. He didn't know how long he had been sleeping before there was pounding at the door. He bolted upright in his bed, all too quickly for his injured shoulder that screamed in protest. As quickly as he could, he threw on a pair of pants, then ran to answer the rattling door. Where were Ethan and his partner? They hadn't left, had they?

Mac opened the door and was met with the barrel of a gun pointed straight at his chest. He threw his hands up in surrender as Gabel waltzed into the room, pushing a man whose wrists were bound in front of him with zip ties. Gabel pulled the gun away from Mac's chest and pointed it at the hostage's head, then clicked the safety off. The man slowly looked up. His face was bloodied and bruised, but it looked a lot worse than it really was. Most of the blood had come from a small gash on the man's forehead and a split lip. As for the bruises, they were small and hardly swollen; signs that he hadn't been beaten too severely. However, Gabel was now pointing a gun at his head. The man locked eyes with Mac and a look of total fear crossed the man's face.

But the hostage wasn't just any man; it was Avery's father.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. :) Also, a side note: I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes in this chapter and/or previous chapters. I was reading over some of the previous chapters the other day and realized I tend to miss words once and a while, yikes! Sometimes when I'm typing I skip over words and don't even notice :) Oops. Anyways, here's chapter 8.**

Chapter 8

Dan Vanteen looked terrified. Truly terrified. Most CIA agents had a natural air of confidence, despite the operation they were sent on or the dangers they faced. But all of Dan's confidence appeared to have evaporated. All that was left was a trembling, anxious man; any signs of his the training and discipline he'd been given as an agent had vanished.

Dan stared at Mac with a blank expression. He didn't know if the blond standing in front of him was friend or foe. He didn't even know if he had any friends left. The past few days he'd been surrounded by people who had all wanted to kill him. He considered himself lucky to be alive. Well, that is, if Gabel didn't decide to kill him now.

Gabel pushed the barrel of the gun against Dan' temple, causing Dan to stumble slightly to his left. Then he snickered and pulled it away.

"You agents are all the same. You are so cocky and confident until the tables turn and you end up on the wrong end of the gun," Gabel sneered as Dan reached towards the wall to steady himself. Mac tried not to wince; he was supposed to be a bad guy. Bad guys didn't care when innocent people like Dan were pushed around by men like Gabel.

"What's he doing here?" Mac asked casually, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"I'm going to release him. I just wanted to let you know that your 24-hour time limit is starting now," Gabel responded, equally as casual.

Surprise suddenly coated Dan's face. He looked at Mac, as if he were his personal saviour and let out an airy sigh of gratitude.

"You're just going to let him walk?" Mac asked. He was hoping Gabel would have arranged for Dan to be delivered to Avery, or at least to his home. Mac knew that Phoenix wouldn't stage the destruction of the evidence until they knew Dan was safe from Gabel. What if Dan didn't get into contact with Phoenix until after his 24 hours were up?

Gabel was fingering the gun in his hands and he curiously glanced up. "What? Did you think I was going to deliver him personally to Avery? I don't believe that was part of the deal. The deal was that I'd release your pet's father and then you'd destroy the evidence. After that is cleared up we can get down to some actual business " he said.

Mac swallowed and eyed Dan curiously. Dan looked utterly horrified when Gabel referred to Avery as Mac's "pet". Mac could only imagine what was going through the agent's head right now.

"Fine," Mac responded warily. He motioned towards Dan and Gabel approached, wielding Mac's bloody swiss army knife. With a swift motion, he cut the zip ties around Dan's wrists.

"Wait," Mac started. He took a handful of Dan's shirt, shaking it slightly. "I want this."

He felt bad for taking the man's clothes, but he knew he was going to need it a lot more than Dan was. On the plus side, Dan might be more likely to be spotted by Phoenix if he wasn't wearing a shirt- at least that was what Mac was hoping for. Dan hesitantly pulled off his shirt and handed it to Mac. Mac gave a small nod before slipping the shirt on. He was secretly relieved to see that Dan's torso wasn't severely bruised from any of the beatings Gabel's men had most likely given him.

Mac then pointed towards the door and Dan slowly walked away, eyeing Mac angrily. Mac stared back, hoping that somehow Dan would understand from his expression that this was all a hoax. But Mac also knew that Dan was too emotionally involved. Despite all his training as a CIA operative, the man was unable to understand what Mac's role was in all of this. As far as Dan knew, Mac was just another drug lord, taking advantage of his 16-year-old daughter. Mac just hoped that Dan would contact the CIA, Phoenix, or Avery, as soon as he was out.

The door slowly closed as Dan walked away. Gabel then turned back to Mac and chuckled softly. Despite his terrifying appearance, Gabel actually spoke and conversed like a normal man. Maybe that's what made his so horrifying to be around.

Gabel raised his brow, jutting his jaw towards Mac while eyeing his injured shoulder.

"It's not the first time I've been injured in this line of work," Mac replied, shrugging casually. He kept his tone as neutral as possible in order to avoid triggering Gabel's temper. He had to show the drug lord that his presence didn't terrify him. He was in just as much power as Gabel was- at least that was what he was trying to prove.

"You're very committed to the job. I admire that," Gabel , his statement seemed genuine. Mac nodded briefly and bent to pick up his bloody shirt from the floor. He eyed the fabric grimly; over half the shirt was covered in blood. He rolled the fabric up and placed the shirt in the trash can beside the nightstand.

Gabel didn't move. He tossed the gun from one hand to another, as if contemplating whether or not he should shoot Mac. Mac tried to ignore the ominous gesture. He strolled into the kitchen and took a swig of water from the tap, then turned back to Gabel and shrugged.

"So, what? Did Ethan and his friend get tired of babysitting me? Are you taking over their shift for the night?" He teased. Gabel's grip tightened around the gun but he didn't show any other signs of anger. Mac knew he was walking a fine line, but he had to sell his character to Gabel.

"Had your men not decided to check up on you a couple of minutes ago, I might have broken your arm for a remark like that. Maybe even cut off a finger or two. You are lucky to have men as loyal as yours are," Gabel responded. His voice was so low, Mac had to strain to hear him. A shiver worked its way down his spine, but he was silently grateful. Jack was close by, still pretending to be working for Mac and making sure he was safe. Even if he couldn't get too close, Mac was happy to hear that he was at least in the vicinity.

"You're smart. My men wouldn't hesitate to gut you had you decided to hurt me again," Mac said.

Gabel snorted. "Your men would have to get through _my_ men before they even got close to me. However, I respect the majority of those who work for me and so I will refrain from harming you if only to protect the lives of those who are loyal to me," Gabel replied. He then tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants and strolled out into the night, not bothering to close the door behind him.

Mac let out a low sigh, thankful that Gabel had finally left. It was already nearing 6 in the morning, and Mac decided he better go grab something to eat. He didn't have any money on him, but if he was lucky, Jack had already taken care of breakfast. He might have even left some spare change somewhere for him to pick up. It was all just a matter of knowing where Jack would leave it.

Mac walked outside and breathed in the cool morning air greedily. The crispness of the air helped clear his mind a little, even though his shoulder was still throbbing horribly. He began to walk towards the diner down the road where he knew he'd be able to grab an early breakfast. He had barely made it a few steps when a pair of arms wrapped around his face and pulled him back into the shadows of the motel.

Mac didn't bother screaming. If Jack wasn't close enough to see what was going on, he was probably not close enough to hear him scream. There weren't many hiding places around the motel, and if Mac wasn't in Jack's line of view, he certainly wasn't in earshot.

Instead, Mac struggled against the grip, but the arms that were dragging him backward were solid. His shoulder screamed in pain and even when he tried to use defensive combat to free himself, the man who was holding him dodged every move- as if he was waiting for it. Mac couldn't do anything but struggle pointlessly as the arms dragged him further from the motel and towards a river that flowed adjacent to the building. It was easy for the man to drag Mac down the riverbank; Mac was practically tumbling down the hill. His captor used a fist to knock Mac over the head and Mac cried out, sloshing into the icy water of the river. He threw his arms out to break his fall and began to turn backward, preparing to lunge upwards and knock his opponent off balance. Maybe then he'd gain the advantage.

But Mac wasn't quick enough.

He had barely turned when his opponent grabbed a fistful of hair and kneed Mac in the gut. Mac gasped and began to draw in a breath when the man plunged his head under water. Mac was suddenly surrounded by dark muddy water. He began to choke as he involuntarily attempted to draw in air. He tried to turn, to grab his opponent and drag him down with him if only to gain the advantage in the fight, but he could barely move when the iron arms were holding him down. His shoulder screamed in pain as the icy water pounded over his body and soaked his clothing. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his chest felt like it was going to explode as the water burned his throat and lungs. Consciousness was slowly slipping away and Mac knew it was only a matter of seconds before he would drown. He had been taken by surprise and had no way of preparing for the fight; a victory at this point was near impossible.

He was going to drown. Right here, in the river, when his operation had only begun.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are seriously soooo encouraging! I know a few of you really wanted Jack to come and help Mac, but I'm sorry to say that Jack doesn't make an appearance in this chapter. But don't worry! He's coming. He's just a little delayed (for particular reasons that have yet to be revealed ;P) Hope you enjoy and please leave a review! Your comments are honestly one of the main things that get me writing the next chapter so fast. Thanks for all the wonderful encouragement!**

Chapter 9

Mac was on his last thread of consciousness when the man yanked his head upwards. Mac greedily drew in air, coughing and sputtering while trying to take as many breaths as possible. Locks of wet hair clung to his forehead and beads of water dripped down his face. His vision was blurred from lack of oxygen and the water that was dripping into his eyes. He barely managed a glance at his opponent before the man kicked him in the ribs and sent Mac sprawling into the water.

But Mac hadn't imagined it; the quick glance revealed that his opponent was none other than Dan Vanteen.

Mac held up a hand, begging Dan to stop, but Dan moved forwards with an astounding amount of speed and took two fistfuls of Mac's shirt, pulling Mac onto his feet. He then proceeded to elbow Mac in the jaw and deliver another two kicks to Mac's gut. Mac face planted into the river's muddy bank, groaning and spitting blood. Dan then pulled his leg back, ready to deliver yet another blow to the abdomen when Mac threw his arm out in defense, shaking his head wildly.

"I never hurt Avery!" Mac shouted. Dan froze, mid-kick. Mac took this opportunity to scramble to his feet and ready himself for an attack. He planted his shoes in the muddy bank and balanced on the balls of his feet. He swayed uneasily, dizziness from the near-death experience clouding his head.

Dan seemed to be contemplating whether or not Mac was telling the truth. He eyed Mac angrily, scanning up and down, the muscles in his chest rippling as he rolled his shoulders. Dan wasn't a big man, but years of training had made him strong and muscular. Mac wasn't sure if he'd be able to win a fight against him in the state he was in. He didn't want to hurt Dan anyways, even if the man had just beaten the crap out of him.

"She just works for me. It was her choice. I pay her well and she does her job well. When you were taken she asked me for a favour; to get you back. I saw an opportunity to work with Gabel and agreed to help her. That's it!" Mac shouted, putting his hand out as if would ward off Dan's attack.

He wished he could tell the man the truth; that he was really working for Phoenix in order to bring the Cobra Syndicate down. But Mac already saw two of Gabel's men standing near the motel building, obviously watching the fight for a bit of entertainment. He couldn't risk telling Dan the truth here. He couldn't risk telling the truth to Dan, period. Gabel's men were constantly keeping him under surveillance and it'd be too risky to reveal his cover at any time, anywhere. Dan would just have to wait until Phoenix found him and filled him in on the plan. In the meantime, he had to find a way to keep Dan from beating him to death.

"You filthy piece of trash! You're a lying bastard, that's what you are!" Dan yelled, fury displayed in every movement. Mac honestly couldn't blame the man; his daughter was the only thing he had left and he was willing to fight for her, just like any other good father would do. Mac only wished that the fighting didn't involve him being beaten to a pulp.

Dan reared up and charged at Mac, propelling him into the dried grass and then tumbling back into the river. Mac tried to fight back, but his shoulder was already injured and the man was hardly an equal match. He found himself being pushed under again, swallowing an alarming amount of water. When Dan pulled him back up, he was spitting water and then vomiting on the river bank.

The process repeated itself several times. Underwater, drowning, air, then vomiting. Underwater, drowning, air, then vomiting. His chest felt like it was about to explode and his limbs were becoming cold and numb. He doubted he was going to be able to retain consciousness for much longer. He lashed out once more, attempting to free himself. This time his foot hit his target, causing Dan to slip in the mud and fall backward into the current.

Mac hustled to create distance between them, then lunged back at Dan, knowing full well that if he didn't get the advantage now, he wouldn't ever get it. He landed on top of Dan and pushed his head underwater long enough to disorientate and confuse the CIA agent. Then he dragged the man towards the shore and pinned him down, leaning forward so that his mouth was right by Dan's ear.

"I can't tell you what's going on but I swear this isn't what it seems," Mac whispered. Dan flinched, then stilled for a moment before resuming his struggle. Mac dug his fingers into Dan's arms, attempting to keep him immobile for only a few more moments. "Go find Avery and I swear this will make sense. _I swear_."

Mac managed to get the last few words out through gritted teeth before Dan propelled a knee into Mac's abdomen and scrambled to his feet. He clenched his jaw and scanned over Mac. Mac could have sworn the man had smoke coming out of his ears. Then ever so slowly, Dan began to walk away. He stomped under the bridge and into the shadows. Only at the last minute did he glance back at the Mac. He gave a solemn nod, then completely disappeared under the bridge.

Mac sighed and collapsed on the ground, savoring every breath he drew in. He buried his head in the grass, vomiting again before rolling onto his back and placing a hand on his injured shoulder. When he pulled his hand away, there was a thin coat of blood covering his palm. Mac swore silently before pushing himself into a sitting position. All that time cauterizing the wound had pretty much been wasted, thanks to Dan.

Suddenly something rustled in the grass behind him; someone was approaching.

Mac turned, running a shaking hand through his dirty hair. "I see you finally decided to show up," he quipped. But the man walking towards him wasn't Jack.

The last thing Mac saw was the sole of a steel-toed work boot before his head snapped back and unconsciousness took over.


	10. Chapter 10

**I just watched the season premiere of MacGyver and of course, it inspired me to write some more as I have to wait an entire week for another episode. :P So, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy and thank you sooo much to everyone who has left reviews! Your feedback means so much to me. :)**

Chapter 10

Pain and blood.

Those were the first two things Mac was aware of when he awoke. The horrible metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and basically every muscle in his body was tight and throbbing. There were muted voices talking in the background, blurring together with the pounding of rain on a metallic roof.

Mac slowly opened his eyes, wincing when the light made his head pound. Whoever had knocked him out had definitely kicked him hard enough. The air around him was cold and stale, infused with the smell of rubber and gas. When he looked around he realized he was in an old warehouse. There were empty storage containers at the far side of the room and the men who were talking were to his left. Several of them glanced his direction when they saw he was awake then one of the largest ones began to stroll towards him. Gabel.

Mac instinctively tried to get up. He was yanked back down by the wire on his wrists that was binding him to the chair. Pain lanced through his arms and into his shoulders. He didn't know how long he'd been here, but he'd obviously been wired down to the chair for quite some time judging by the soreness in his shoulders and around his wrists.

"Well, good morning Mac. Or maybe I should be saying good afternoon?" Gabel teased. He rounded the chair before coming to rest directly in front of Mac.

Mac squinted at Gabel, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light in the room. Somehow everything seemed 10X brighter than it should be.

"Why am I here?" Mac asked His voice was hoarse and his head was swimming, but the only thing he was wondering was where Jack was. Why hadn't he come to the rescue by now?

"Well, Mac, I happened to come across some prudent information just this morning that kind of ticked me off," Gabel replied. The man began to pick at the dirt under his nails examining each wad of grime as if it held some sort of important information.

Mac let out an airy laugh. "And what kind of information would that be?

Gabel rummaged inside of his pocket, pulling out a dark brown wallet. Mac's breathing hitched. That was his wallet. Gabel casually flipped it open, revealing the government ID displayed in the tiny plastic-screened pocket.

"Care to explain?" Gabel mocked, anger creeping into every facial feature.

Mac clenched his fists. He took in a breath then slowly let it out through clenched teeth. His cover had been blown. Yet, even as Mac knew that Gabel would most likely kill him right there, that wasn't his main concern. What really bothered him was that the last place he had left his wallet had been at home. In the kitchen- a kitchen that Bozer spent 70% of his time in.

Mac tilted his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. "Where is he?" He whispered.

Gabel began to laugh, flashing his strikingly white teeth at Mac. "Him? Or do you mean _her?_ Riley Davis. You're little hacker girl. She was hacking into the syndicate's main server when _my_ hacking guy caught her. It wasn't hard to get a location on her. My man is very talented. Either way, we tracked her to a little house in Los Angeles and caught up with her there. And that's where we found this," Gabel said, waving Mac's wallet in front of him.

Mac would have lunged forwards if he hadn't been restrained. Instead, he ground his jaw and, breathed deeply; if only to get his emotions in check.

"She's ok, don't worry. As for the little guy, he got away, along with one of your men. What's his name again, Jack? He's a good shot, that one is. But the thing is, I've got the girl. She's got talent too. I won't deny it," Gabel continued, obviously pleased with himself. Mac suddenly understood why Jack hadn't been there to help when Dan had jumped him at the motel.

Gabel crouched down, bringing himself down to Mac's level. "I want her to access certain information that my men haven't been able to hack. I want her to give me intel on the government's moves, what they're planning and what they know about me. That way, I can stay on top of the game. The thing is, she won't do it willingly. And, being the gentleman I am, I'm not going to hurt her to get her to do what I want."

Mac shifted angrily, then leaned forward and spit in Gabel's face. "You're no gentleman," he sneered. Gabel's adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't move to hurt Mac. Instead, he casually wiped the spit from his face as if it were no more than a droplet of water.

" _You_ may not think so, but listen Mac. I don't hurt people unless they ask for it. I hurt Dan Vanteen because he physically meddled in my work. I want to hurt Avery because she did the same. But Riley, dear Riley, she was only doing her job. She was doing what anyone in her position would be doing when they had an agent in the field depending on them. _You,_ on the other hand, chose this job. You _chose_ to get in my way. And for that, you must pay."

Mac shivered. He pursed his lips then let out another long breath.

"I want her to get me information and I want you to pay. Isn't it quite complementary? I'm sure she has an attachment to you, Mac, as a close colleague and all; maybe even as a friend. Somehow I think she'd hate to see you hurt. And if I'm correct, I can bargain with her: her service in exchange for your life. It's simple and effective."

Gabel gave Mac small smile that almost looked sympathetic, then he pulled a syringe from his pocket. He gingerly flipped off the cap then plunged the needle into Mac's neck. Mac jerked involuntarily, pulling on the restraints and cutting even deeper into his wrists.

"Call it a small taste of what's yet to come," Gabel said, waving the syringe in front of Mac's face.

The took its effect incredibly fast. Mac felt his muscles tighten. The floor swayed and even while seated on the chair, Mac was sure he was going to fall. He pushed his body against the back of the chair, planting his feet on the floor to prevent him from leaning too far to his left or right. The warehouse was becoming as haze. Gabel said something inaudible and two men descended on Mac, untying his wrists and forcing him to his feet. Mac tried to fight, but his body was no longer his own. His moves were uncoordinated and restricted by whatever drug was in his system. Any attempt to fight only resulted in a fresh pain blossoming in his chest and his airways constricting.

Tears had completely soaked Mac's face and shirt collar by the time the two men threw him into the back of a truck. He was wheezing and shaking uncontrollably and as he reached out to the side of the truck to steady himself, he was quickly thrown off balance as the vehicle lurched forward and threw him to the ground. Mac didn't know where they were taking him, but as the drug began to fully take over his system, he knew it was going to be a long ride.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. You guys are awesome! (I know I say thanks a lot, but SERIOUSLY you guys deserve that many thank-yous) You are all so encouraging and you get me writing (even when I should be doing homework :P)Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy :)**

Chapter 11

The _CS Health and Wellness_ centre was far from any regular clinic. In fact, it was quite the opposite of a clinic. You couldn't even get medical service there. If you happened to wander in, they usually referred you to a doctor situated at the General Hospital, 3 blocks away. Of course, they first went through the regular medical forms and regulations before they sent you away; after all, they had a front to keep up.

This was where Mac was taken after an hour drive in the back of the fake medical supply truck. He'd spent the last half-hour puking up all the contents of his stomach, then dry heaving for the remainder of the drive. His shirt was completely soaked in blood from his recently opened shoulder wound and there was a thin coat of sweat dripping down his pale face. The entire drive had been hell.

Mac had absolutely no control over his muscles. They had cramped so much during the drive that he'd begun to convulse and once they had finally relaxed, he was unable to move or barely breathe without having to think twice as hard about it. In the last few minutes of the drive, the drug had slowly begun to wear off. Mac had managed to position himself in the back corner of the truck, kneeling against the wall. He hadn't bothered to try and stand; he knew he'd only fall and probably end up injuring himself further. All he could do was sit and wait for the trip to be over.

The truck finally came to a stop. Mac didn't move. He considered trying to get up but had quickly decided against it when it stomach protested at any sort of movement. Instead, he just sat, waiting for whoever had taken him here to open the door. Soon enough, the rolling door slid open and two men dressed in white uniforms peered in.

They didn't look at all threatening. They looked like regular medical professionals, but they had a sort of gauntness to their figures that suggested they were anything but that. Mac squinted back, putting up a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness of the sun. In those few moments of blindness, the two men jumped into the truck and dragged Mac between them, towards the building. Mac struggled briefly but all too quickly he realized that his poor attempt to fight back was nothing but small fidgets and nudges.

He was dragged through a door and into a strikingly white hall. The lights were horribly bright in the tiny area and Mac had to close his eyes to keep his head from swimming. They then rounded the corner and approached the end of the corridor. After a series of doors was a larger one with a keypad and heavy duty lock. One of the men took a moment to punch in a code. Letters skittered across the screen before the door hissed and the lock disengaged. The two men dragged Mac into the room then threw him on the floor before closing the door and resetting the lock.

Mac groaned and buried his head in his arms, trying to shield his eyes from the brightness of the room. He could slowly feel himself gaining control over his body again, but this small reward came with its own punishment of more nausea and a headache.

"Mac?"

Something touched Mac's back and he bolted upright, knocking Riley off balance and sending her stumbling against the padded white wall.

"Riley?" Mac whispered in disbelief.

Riley pushed herself off the ground. "You didn't have to catapult me across-"

Riley gasped when she caught sight of Mac. "Oh god," she whispered, covering her hand as she scanned over Mac. "Oh god, no."

Mac tried to grin but his smile only came out as a pained grimace. "Do I look that bad?" He asked sarcastically, pushing himself against the white padded wall. His shoulder sizzled as he leaned back and rested his head against the plastic cushions.

Riley wasn't impressed by Mac's poor attempt to ease the tension in the room. She rushed over and began to fidget with Mac's shirt, attempting to get a better look at his wound without causing Mac too much pain.

"Mac, this looks really bad," she breathed, wrinkling her nose at the still warm blood coating Mac's shoulder. "Oh god, I don't know how to... " She tensed when Mac winced as she pulled the fabric further from his wound. "Sorry. Crap, I should have taken that first aid class with Bozer. I'm so stupid. I didn't think I'd need-" Riley babbled.

Mac grabbed hold of her wrist and Riley froze, thinking she'd hurt Mac. "Are you ok?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Riley responded. She blinked in confusion at Mac's question then pushed a lock of hair behind her ear with the back of her hand.

Mac didn't let go of her wrist. "Seriously Riley. Are you _ok?"_

Riley let go of the bloody material of Mac's shirt and knit her brow together. "Mac, I'm fine."

Mac rubbed his forehead with his arm, trying to avoid smearing the blood from his hands onto his face. "They didn't give you any drugs or anything?"

"No… _they_ haven't even talked to me since I got here. Well, except Gabel who wanted me to hack into some top secret info, which I refused. Then they threw me in here and left."

Mac nodded wearily. Gabel hadn't been lying when he said he didn't hurt Riley.

"Did they give _you_ drugs?" Riley asked, suddenly curious.

"Yeah. I don't know what it was though. It's not something I've ever studied or been exposed to before. I mean, I was never that good at biology but…"

Mac scrunched his face into the "I'm completely baffled" look that Riley hadn't seen all that often.

Riley plopped down in front of Mac, crossing her legs and resting her head in her hand. She suddenly understood the information she'd been so close to accessing before Gabel's men had stormed the house.

"That's because you've never studied that kind of drug before," she said blankly.

Mac turned back to her, confusion coating his features.

"Right before Gabel's men came, I was really close to accessing a whole lot of new intel on the Cobra Syndicate. I was going to download the information from their server when those goons broke in. But before that happened, I saw several pages talking about some sort of biological mo-jo. I didn't understand it, but I'd figured you'd be able to sort it out later. When they brought me here, I was really confused why they were using a clinic as their front but now it all makes sense. When Matty was talking about the production and distribution of WW3 weapons I don't think she was just talking about guns and bombs..."

"She was also talking about biological weapons," Mac finished. "Which means what they gave me was something they researched and produced _here_."

Riley nodded. Mac let out a low whistle. If Gabel had been telling the truth, and the drug had only been a sample of what they were working on, then Mac had a lot worse things to look forward to.

"How exactly did they find you? I thought you always made yourself untraceable when hacking things like that," Mac asked.

Riley rubbed her eyes and Mac suddenly noticed just how exhausted Riley was. "I honestly don't know. It was like they had some sort of security bug just waiting for me once I hacked in. It ripped apart everything that was keeping my location a secret and next thing I knew we were being ambushed by a bunch of psychos with guns. Bozer and Jack got away but I was trying to finish the download and they didn't have a choice but to leave me behind. Jack tried to get me out but, well…" Riley motioned to the white-walled room.

Mac nodded understandingly, then blinked slowly as he realized what he was going to have to tell Riley.

"Look, Riley, we're going to have to find a way out of here. But Gabel is planning on hurting me to get you to hack that information. You've got to promise me you aren't going to give him what he wants. He's not going to kill me because I'm his only leverage right now, but things might get ugly. You've just gotta trust me that we're going to find a way out," Mac explained.

Riley's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Mac I can't…" she began uncertainly.

Mac squeezed his eyes shut and let out a slow breath. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do. But you can't give Gabel what he wants. If he gets that info then there's nothing stopping him from killing us both. Even if he doesn't kill us after that, Phoenix doesn't have any way to bring down the syndicate and if they syndicate have information like that then they're just going to keep growing bigger and bigger. It's going to be near impossible to stop them once they've got access to that kind of material."

Riley was taken aback. She knew Mac was right, but she couldn't just let them hurt Mac. He was already in bad shape. "What...what are they going to do to you?" She stammered hesitantly.

Mac shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure it's no coincidence that we are in the exact building where they produce biological weapons like the drug they gave me earlier," Mac mused warily.

Suddenly the door swung open and three men strolled inside. Two were wearing the same white uniforms as the men who'd dragged Mac inside. The third was dressed in regular scrubs and carried a bag full of medical supplies.

"Mr. MacGyver, Miss Davis," the third man greeted, nodding his head at both of them.

"Who the hell are you?" Riley hissed.

"I am Dr. Zorgdragger. I'm going to be overseeing the information extraction," he explained casually, smiling sympathetically at both of them. It appeared that the other two men were merely the doctor's muscle; making sure that the neither Riley or Mac tried anything stupid. "But first, we want to make sure that Mac here is in good shape. We want accurate results from the tests and so he can't be bleeding from a shoulder wound if we want those results."

Dr. Zorgdragger placed his bag on the floor and began to rummage inside.

"What tests?" Mac demanded, gritting his teeth.

"No one told you?" Dr Zorgdragger asked, genuinely surprised. The man had a sort of inhuman casualness that sent chills up Mac's spine. "Well, Mr. Gabel is quite interested in having Miss Davis provide him with government information and since she won't do so willingly, we've devised a plan to make her comply. We are going to use you, MacGyver, as the main test subject for several biological weapons and tools that we are currently engineering here. If Miss Davis wants us to stop using you as our test subject then she will have to provide Mr. Gabel with the information he requires. It's quite simple, really."

Riley gaped at the doctor, too stunned to even move.

"Oh, and I assume we are both going to be spending some time together, given both of your reputations, and so I would appreciate if you refrain from calling me Mr. Z or Mr. Zorg. I understand my name is a mouthful, but I do quite like it. Trust me, if you saw what happened to other test subjects who referred to me by a nickname, you'd avoid doing so."

Dr. Zorgdragger then pulled some gauze and scissors from the bag and took a step towards Mac. "Now, Mr. MacGyver, I want to treat that shoulder wound of yours. However, my contract states that I am to avoid using painkillers or sedatives on any of my test subjects and so I regret to tell you that this may hurt a little. If you could sit as still as possible, that'd be wonderful."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter :) Tell me what you think and thank you to everyone who has stayed with the story this far. You guys are amazing!**

Chapter 12

It had taken Dr. Zorgdragger a total of 45 minutes to inspect, disinfect and stitch up Mac's shoulder wound. The two men in white uniforms had ended up holding Mac down so that he was still enough for Dr. Zorgdragger to do his work. Riley had huddled in the corner, chewing on her lip until it was bleeding and raw while watching intently as Dr. Zorgdragger patched Mac up. Mac tried to keep quiet, if only for Riley's sake, but he couldn't hold back a scream when the doctor had disinfected the wound. Riley had flinched and ripped off another chunk of skin on her lip when he cried out, but she hadn't said anything. As much as she hated what the doctor was doing, she knew that the wound had to be treated, no matter how painful it was going to be. She didn't have much choice but to watch in silence.

The doctor was just finishing the bandage when Mac flinched again, arching his back slightly and then relaxing against the ground as the pain dulled. The two men in uniforms tightened their grip on Mac's arms again and pushed harder, forcing Mac down. Mac let out a frustrated wheeze and squeezed his eyes shut. Riley could tell he was trying to distract himself from the pain and minimize his reaction but obviously, it wasn't going well.

"Well Mr. MacGyver, the wound was slightly infected but I'm happy to announce that it wasn't very severe and you'll now make a full recovery," Dr. Zorgdragger announced. Just as he began to pack up his supplies the two men in uniforms released Mac and strolled towards the door.

Riley scrambled over to Mac as the doctor also stood. She draped his arm around her neck as he was trying to sit up and she assisted him so that he was leaning against the padded wall again.

"Thanks," Mac mumbled, eyeing the doctor with a look of pure hatred. Riley bit her lip again; she'd never seen Mac display such hatred towards someone, not even Murdoc. She wondered just what Mac had been through in the past day.

"We'll give you some time to recover before we start the testing. Like I said, we want the results to be somewhat accurate and so you'll need some time to get back to normal. In the meantime, I'll send someone down with some clothes for both of you to wear," Dr. Zorgdragger explained casually. It sounded as if he was talking to a normal patient. Riley shivered.

"What's wrong with our clothes?" Riley demanded. Just by looking at Mac, she knew that _he_ needed something new to wear. But she doubted the doctor really cared about what they looked like.

Dr. Zorgdragger grinned slightly and glanced at both Riley and Mac's belts, then ran his eyes over the buttons on Riley's jacket.

"I know what MacGyver is capable of," Dr. Zorgdragger chuckled. Riley didn't need anyone to tell her what he was alluding to; he was obviously talking about the skills that got Mac a job as an agent in the first place.

The doctor then turned and knocked on the door. There was a brief pause before the door hissed and clicked open and the three men left the room. When the door closed there was another click as the lock engaged itself.

Mac leaned his head against the wall, then let a short laugh escape his lips. "Well that sucked," he mused.

Riley sighed and plopped down beside Mac, staring at the door. "Yeah, no kidding," she agreed warily.

Mac had barely begun to think of possible escapes when the door opened again and a grandmotherly nurse poked her head in. She was a small Japanese woman with a head full of gray curls. She was even wearing a light knitted cardigan over her scrubs. She wedged the door open and set two aqua coloured pairs of pajamas on the floor.

"You can change into those and give me your old clothes. Ok?" She said sweetly. Riley scoffed slightly, eyeing the tiny lady in front of her.

"Honey, you should probably just get changed before you make any smart-ass comments," the lady advised, her voice cracking slightly. Riley wrinkled her nose, then snatched the pajamas off the ground, tossing a pair to Mac.

The nurse didn't move from the door, she stared at both Mac and Riley, waiting for them to begin to undress.

"You're just going to stand there?" Riley snorted.

The nurse nodded and plastered a smile on her face. "We can't have you two trying to sneak anything off your clothing. You know, buttons or zippers and such. I hear Mr. MacGyver has quite the reputation," she replied. Her cheeks warmed as she spoke about Mac, almost as if she was bragging about one of her grandchildren. It was unsettling.

Riley turned away from both Mac and the nurse and quickly stripped off her shirt and pants while slipping on the pajamas. The material was soft and cottony, almost like wearing a pair of sweats. When she was done, she gathered her clothes in a pile and kicked them towards the door where the nurse was standing. The nurse nodded thanks and picked them off the ground.

"You may want to help him," she pointed out, tilting her head apologetically at Mac.

Mac has also turned away from Riley and the nurse. He'd already slipped the pajama pants on but was having difficulty trying to wriggle out of his shirt while keeping his injured shoulder immobile.

"Here," Riley said, grabbing the hem of Mac's shirt. Mac lifted his good arm and Riley slid one side of the shirt off. She then slipped it over his head and pulled it off his other arm. Mac picked up the pajama shirt from the floor and slipped his bad arm into it, then putting it on just as Riley had taken his other shirt off.

The nurse then took Mac's clothes and left, locking the door behind her.

"Is it just me or are all these people super creepy?" Riley asked, breaking the silence followed by the nurses leave.

Mac shook his head. "I wasn't paying attention," he joked.

Riley shot him a sarcastic grin before glancing around the room. Her grin slowly transformed itself into a frown. "Do you think you can get us out of here?" She asked hopefully.

Mac let out a short burst of air then ran his hand through his grimy hair. "You're asking a lot, Riles. These rooms are designed to keep even the craziest people inside. And since they took our clothes too..." he trailed off.

Riley sucked her lips into her mouth and cast her eyes to the ground. "Mac…" she breathed. But Mac cut her off before she started. He turned to her and tilted his head down slightly while connecting his gaze with Riley.

"You're not going to help Gabel. Ok? I don't care what they do to me. You're. Not. Going. To. Help. Him. Got that?"

Riley's eyes brimmed with tears. The strong front she'd been holding up slowly started to disintegrate. "Mac, I could barely watch when that creep doctor was stitching you up," she whimpered, tears beginning to snake down her cheeks. Mac grabbed her shoulder and opened his mouth to reassure her but Riley cut him off. "They were _hurting_ you Mac! How can you expect me to just _watch_ that!?" She screamed, her voice cracking with sobs. She then placed her hands on her temples and breathed deeply, attempting to get her emotions in check.

Mac pursed his lips. He knew what he was asking of Riley was insane, and had it been the other way around he would never let Gabel's people get near Riley. But this was different. He was strong. He'd was a field agent who had years of experience under his belt.

"Look: Jack, Bozer, and Matty are still looking for us. If we can't get out then they'll find us. They're probably turning Los Angeles upside down now in their search. And trust me, Riley, Bozer's not going to let you disappear this easily."

Riley smirked slightly at the mention of Bozer. She gave a small nod before sniffling and plopping back down on the ground. Mac joined her, cradling his bad arm on his lap.

Suddenly the lights flickered and turned off, plunging the room in darkness. Eventually, the darkness was replaced by a dim glow emitted from lights that were built into the ceiling tiles.

The night had come.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait again, I've been super busy trying to fill out University applications (yikes!) and stuff and so I haven't gotten around to writing much lately. I think the coming week is going to be less busy so hopefully, I'll be able to update again then (no promises!). Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this next one!**

Chapter 13

"I'm going to kill you!" Riley screamed, launching herself at Gabel.

The two uniformed men held her back, each of them firmly gripping her arms as Riley pushed forward, her eyes full of rage. Behind her, in a separate room that was divided by a thick glass window, was Mac. He was huddled in the corner, his eyes empty and raw from hours of crying. His hands were trembling, but he clenched them tightly in an attempt to conceal the pain from Riley.

The room was slowly filling with some sort of vapour. It was a blueish purple hue and ever so slowly it was affecting Mac's nervous system. The cottony material of his shirt hadn't worked as a filter to prevent him from breathing in the mist, and ever so slowly, Mac felt the symptoms begin to take hold of his body.

His breathing had become shallow and laboured and the entire left side of his body began to tingle painfully. Mac couldn't help it as tears snaked down his face and sweat oozed from every pore. He could make out the fuzzy figure of Riley in the opposite room, her face a mask of pure horror as she watched Mac slowly losing the fight to whatever toxins the doctor was pumping through the vents and into the room. He knew he had to stay strong for her; he kept telling himself it was only going to be one more day before Jack and the team rescued them.

But as the days had dragged on, Mac was slowly losing hope. Dr. Zorgdragger hadn't been at all sparing when he administered the drugs to Mac. If anything, he was overdosing Mac, pumping his body full of different toxins that meant to inflict different kinds of pain. The first day had been bearable- It had only taken about 2 hours for the drugs to wear off completely. The drug itself had only caused slight muscle paralysis and spasms. It hadn't been pretty, but not horrific either.

But as time went on, Dr. Zorgdragger 'improved' the makeup of each drug he administered, making sure that each dose caused Mac more and more suffering. He rotated between about 10 different drugs; testing the first drug on the initial day of trial, then working to enhance the effects of the drug during the next 9 days while he tested the remaining 9 drugs. On the tenth day, he would then dose Mac with the 'new and improved' drug that he had originally started with.

As for the blue-purple vapour in the room, it had been the second biological tool the Doctor had tested on Mac. On the first run through, it had restricted Mac's breathing only slightly; it had felt like breathing through a reed while underwater– a technique Mac had used several times to hide from the bad guys. But now the vapour was completely taking over his body. Mac doubted he'd be able to stay conscious through the third trial.

On the adjoining room, Riley pulled back from the guards and to the window. She breathed heavily, trying to control the anger that was clouding her thought. Mac had made it through the first 10 drugs- barely. Now that Dr. Zorgdragger was testing his revamped version of each drug, she doubted she'd be able to _not_ help Gabel for much longer.

Mac connected his gaze with Riley and managed a pained smile. Riley pressed her hand to the glass, sprawling her fingers out over the cool surface. Ever so slowly, Mac managed a short shake on his head. The small movement seemed to sap the entirety of his strength. Muscle spasms began to take over Mac's body and no amount of clenched fists or jaws could prevent it.

"Mac…" Riley mumbled. She didn't bother screaming anymore, she just stared at the writhing figure of Mac as his body rocked back and forth. Behind her, Gabel clucked his tongue and grinned.

"It can all stop if you just co-operate," he offered.

Riley tore her gaze from the viewing window and spat at Gabel. "Go to hell," she hissed.

Gabel shrugged and glanced at Dr. Zorgdragger who nodded curtly before leaving the room. Another minute of silence passed before the blue-purple vapour evaporated from the room and the now barely conscious form of Mac was dragged away by the two uniformed men. Mac vomited twice before the men even managed to pry him from the floor.

Riley took in a shuddering breath to gather her confidence before she turned back to Gabel and smiled morbidly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to return to my room."

Gabel nodded, and as if on cue, a uniformed man entered the room to escort Riley back to the room they were holding both her and Mac in. The walk only took a few minutes and the uniformed guard quickly punched in the code- a code that Mac had figured out was changed daily- and opened the door. Riley willingly stepped inside the brightly lit room. There was no point in refusing or trying to run, anyways, Mac needed her.

Mac was curled up on the floor in fetal position, hands wrapped around his torso and breaths so uneven, Riley was surprised he hadn't stopped breathing altogether. His skin looked even paler- if that was even possible, and his entire body trembled.

Riley immediately bent down, wrapping Mac's trembling arm around her neck and practically dragging him into a sitting position. After the first 3 days of torture, Mac had told Riley how much he hated lying on the floor after each session. He complained it was cold and painful, and so Riley agreed to always help him sit up once she got back. After about 4 days of the same routine, Riley noticed that Mac's strength dwindled with each session. On the 10th day, Mac hadn't even been able to move to help Riley while she pulled him into a sitting position.

Today was no different.

It took Riley several grunts and groans before she managed to get Mac sitting in a way that looked at least semi-comfortable. Mac leaned lazily against Riley, still trembling and exhausted.

"Ok, ok, ok," Riley wheezed, rubbing Mac's shoulder. She wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Mac or herself.

Mac opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. It took him several tries before he managed to break the silence. "I..I...I..I'm...g...g….g...g...go...go...good," he stuttered between laboured breaths.

Riley rubbed a hand over her face while still cradling Mac's body against her own. "Yeah and water isn't wet," she replied sarcastically.

Mac managed a pained grin full of chattering teeth. Sarcasm and jokes seemed to be the only thing keeping him and Riley sane. It was stupid, really, but if it kept them both going, it didn't matter how dumb it was.

Suddenly Mac froze. His entire body stopped trembling and Riley sat up straight, alarmed. Mac's eyes widened and his hand flew to his chest.

"Mac!" Riley shrieked, pulling him forwards. Mac rubbed his chest wildly, then began smacking himself. Riley stared, horrified. She didn't know what to do. Mac's skin was slowly taking on a blue tint and he was sweating profusely again.

"C'mon Mac. You can't die on me now. Mac!" Riley shouted, shaking Mac back and forth. She doubted all the movement was helping, but she didn't know what else to do.

Suddenly Mac doubled over and a disgusting gagging noise filled the room. Mac puked up all the contents of his stomach, then dry heaved for another 5 minutes, eventually slumping against the wall again. The purple-blue vomit sluggishly made it's way down the drain in the middle of the room.

Riley wrinkled her nose in response, then pulled Mac against herself when she was sure he was breathing somewhat normally again. She let out a silent sigh of relief. "That was disgusting. At least that creepo doctor could add some glitter so your puke wouldn't look so gross," she kidded. Mac murmured something incoherent and smiled. Riley let out a long sigh and squeezed her eyes shut, then let an unchecked tear roll down her cheek.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter :) I hope you enjoy and please leave a review! Also, side note for everyone who's been missing Jack: Jack will be making an appearance soon! (Yeah!) So hang in there :P**

Chapter 14

"You ready for this?" Mac asked, his face hard and serious.

Riley took a deep breath, nearly choking on the smell of rubbing alcohol that lingered in the air. "No, not really," she replied, bobbing her leg back and forth and watching it with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Mac chuckled and ran a hand through his grimy hair, distributing the layer of sweat over his entire scalp. "Look, if this goes wrong just remember it's no one's fault. Especially not yours. Ok?"

Riley just nodded, still focussed on the rhythmic movement of her leg.

"This is like way worse than Cairo," Mac suddenly commented, trying to ease the tension in the room. Riley looked up, curious.

"I thought you didn't talk about Cairo."

"Number 1, Jack is the one who refuses to talk about Cairo. Number 2, this situation has become bad enough that Cairo is no longer considered a touchy subject as of now," he replied jokingly.

Riley shook her head and grinned.

"How long are you gonna need me to distract Gabel for?" She asked, suddenly serious.

Mac pursed his lips. "I'm not entirely sure. Three, maybe four, minutes? Normally I'd be able to do this under a minute, but, well…" Mac held up his shaking hand as an explanation and Riley nodded understandingly. Mac's hands hadn't stopped trembling for three days now. He wasn't sure if it was going to a be a permanent side effect of the drugs or simply temporary. Mac could only hope it was the latter.

"And is it going to work?" Riley glanced over to Mac whose face suddenly contorted into a grimace. He let out an airy laugh and shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure about that either."

Riley nodded again and sucked her lips into her mouth, sitting in silence. Both she and Mac knew that their fate was dangling on their poor excuse of a "plan". And although they'd spent days working on the escape, it wasn't all that great of an idea.

Suddenly the door rattled and swung open. Dr. Zorgdragger strolled into the white-walled room and smiled, accompanied by his uniformed goons. Riley cringed. It was showtime.

One of the uniformed men yanked Mac off the floor and Mac stumbled groggily towards the door. Riley winced. Even though Mac had assured her that he would be able to jump both the guard and the doctor when the time came, Riley had her doubts. The second Mac stood upright, he always looked like he would topple over.

Riley stood up when the second uniformed guard reached for her. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pajama pants and entered the hall, allowing the guards to separate her and Mac when they reached the testing room and viewing area. Mac pressed his lips together and raised his brow, trying to look hopeful but appearing more worried than anything. Then the guards pulled Mac away and motioned for Riley to enter the viewing room. Riley let out a long sigh and stepped inside. The guard left, leaving her and Gabel alone. Through the glass, Riley saw Mac enter the testing room.

Dr. Zorgdragger waltzed right behind Mac and the uniformed guard, pushing a thin hospital cot in front of him. Built into the bed were cotton padded restraints. Riley's eyes widened- neither her or Mac had counted on him being strapped down to a hospital bed.

"What's that for?" Mac demanded as Dr. Zorgdragger gave him a cheery smile.

The doctor drew his lips into a thin line. "Not many of our test subjects make it this far. I must say, Mr. MacGyver, you have impressed me. However, those who _do_ make it this far tend to exhibit self-destructive tendencies. You know, trying to slit their wrists and what-not?"

Mac scoffed. The doctor had taken everything away from both Mac and Riley that they could possibly use to commit suicide. It would be near impossible for them to kill themselves- not that they wanted to.

The doctor raised his brow in surprise. "I thought you of all people would understand how creative people can get with suicide."

Mac shook his head. "I'm sorry?"

"I've witnessed a lot of imaginative suicide attempts. One man slit his wrists with his own nails! I even had a woman who knocked her head on the floor so many times she suffered brain damage. The thing is, Mr. MacGyver, considering your background, I know how creative you'd be able to get with suicide. And I don't want to risk losing a test subject, as valuable as you, like that. So, as an extra precaution, we're going to keep you restrained from now on; even during the resting period between tests. I'm afraid that means you and Ms. Davis will no longer be sharing a room. I'm going to post two guards to monitor you here at all hours."

Mac took in a sharp breath and his brave expression faltered. If their plan worked, the Phoenix team would be here in the next hour or less. But Mac had been part of enough rescue missions during his time at Phoenix. From experience, he'd learned that having two prisoners in separate areas of the building was always a bad thing. It usually involved one of the two being killed while the other was being rescued, or at least one of them being used as leverage so the bad guys could escape. Either way, it never ended well.

And if their plan didn't work… Mac didn't want to imagine that alternative. He doubted he'd be able to last two days without Riley keeping him sane. It would only be a matter of time before he'd be screaming for Riley to meet Gabel's demands; even if that meant getting them both killed.

"Why don't we lie down, Mr. MacGyver. We can test the drug on you even while you're restrained," the doctor offered, motioning towards the bed.

Mac clenched his jaw and backed away, already sensing the guard approaching him, ready to force him onto the bed the second he refused. Mac didn't glance back at Riley, instead, he high-fived the window- the signal Riley and him had agreed on.

Riley didn't hesitate. She'd spent the last few hours mentally preparing for this moment and she had her distraction down to an art. Mac hadn't asked what kind of distraction she was going to use, and Riley had been grateful. The last thing she wanted was to tell Mac just how she was going to keep Gabel from noticing a fight taking place in the adjacent room. And although Riley had run through several different ideas, she'd only settled on one that she was most confident would work.

Riley swallowed back the bile that was rising in her throat and gracefully spun around. Then she stepped towards Gabel and kissed him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews! You guys are amazing and you make my day every time you post a review. :) I'm so excited for the new episode tonight! Although, I'm not sure how I feel about Cage yet. I'm hoping I'm going to get used to her soon/ they'll improve her character. I guess we'll see. Anyways... hope you guys enjoy!**

Chapter 15

Mac lunged at the guard.

Unfortunately, the guard had been expecting Mac to fight. To him, Mac was no different than every other test subject before him. Not one test subject let the doctor restrain them without putting up a fight and the government agent was no different.

The guard dodged the attack, then wheeled around and delivered a painful blow to Mac's gut. Mac cried out and doubled over, knocking his head against the hospital cot. Meanwhile, Dr. Zorgdragger fished for a hypodermic needle in his lab coat pocket. As he pulled out the needle, Mac grabbed hold of the hospital bed and spun it around. The bed careened into the uniformed guard, causing the guard to stumble and knock the doctor off his feet. Both landed in a pile of limbs on the floor.

Mac pushed himself 0nto his hands and knees, forcing himself to breath and ward off the dizziness that was taking over. After two breaths, he dared a glance at the viewing window. He clenched his jaw at what he saw.

Riley was making out with Gabel.

Gabel's hands were cradling Riley's head, gently tilting it upwards so that Riley's lips perfectly matched his own. Riley didn't even appear to be cringing. Her body was completely melted onto Gabel's, her hands clasped behind the madman's neck. Mac wanted to puke.

But he didn't have time.

The doctor had already recovered and was charging toward Mac, bearing the hypodermic needle. The guard, on the other hand, was knocked out cold. A trickle of blood seeped from his head and Mac almost laughed. He had doubted that the guard would be so easy to defeat.

Mac gathered his breath and sprung from the floor, grabbing hold of the doctor's legs. Immediately Dr. Zorgdragger toppled over, despite his best efforts to stay standing. Mac took this opportunity to slam the doctor's arm on the floor. Zorgdragger cried out and the needle he was holding flew across the room, far from his reach. Then Mac brought down his elbow into the doctor's abdomen. Zorgdragger's eyes bulged and his head rolled backward.

Mac dashed to the counter. Although Riley's distraction was working wonders, it wouldn't be long before Gabel saw what was happening or a passing guard from the hall popped in to see the commotion. Mac only allowed himself one final glance at the disturbing scene in the adjacent room before he gagged, then got to work.

Fortunately for Mac and Riley, Dr. Zorgdragger had a taste for pop music and so he had a small, compact radio stored on the counter in the testing room. Mac wouldn't have even known about it if the doctor hadn't pulled it out of the storage cupboard the other day during one of the longer testing sessions. But now that Mac knew it was there, all he needed to do was tamper with it so that he could send an SOS signal via static and then type out a location using morse code. It wouldn't be long before Matty and the team intercepted the signal and sent a team.

Mac threw open the cupboard and snatched the radio. He began to rip it apart, jiggling the antenna and wires so that they perfectly fit his needs. Although his hands shook, Mac was able to position each wire perfectly and it had only been a minute and a half by the time he was sending out a signal. He first typed in SOS, then spelled out CLINIC.

Mac paused.

It felt like a weight had just been dropped on his chest. Mac froze, shaking hands poised over the jumble of wires as the realization hit him. _He didn't even know where they were._ He'd been drugged and sick when Gabel had brought him to the clinic and he didn't actually know much about the place besides it was...well… _a clinic._ He didn't have a street name, coordinates or any other sort of way to tell Matty and the team where they were. He hadn't even thought to ask Riley if she had an idea of their location.

Something shuffled behind him and Mac turned to see Dr. Zorgdragger, panting and bearing the hypodermic needle. The doctor was angry. He stood with his feet apart, arm slightly raised, bearing the hypodermic needle. His face was red and pained. Every breath he drew in seemed like a chore, yet the pain appeared to be fueling his anger rather than debilitating him. Mac swallowed, realizing just what he had to do: let the doctor restrain him.

Him and Riley had both agreed that there was no point in running; the building was patrolled by dozens of guards dressed to appear as doctors and assistants. There was no way he or Riley would be able to escape. They just had to wait and hope that Phoenix would show up. Now that Dr. Zorgdragger insisted on Mac being monitored in the testing room at all times, Mac realized that the only thing he could do, now that he'd sent the signal, was to surrender and let the doctor do what he wanted. There was no point in fighting anymore; he'd probably end up hurting himself even further and the last thing he wanted was to be dead by the time Phoenix showed up.

Mac held up his shaking hands, clenching his jaw warily. "I'm not going to fight anymore," he assured, raising his arms even higher.

Suddenly the door opened and three guards stormed in, each bearing a small gun. The doctor smiled with satisfaction, then placed the needle on the hospital cot. "If you really mean that, Mr. MacGyver, you will inject yourself with the contents of that needle. If not," Dr. Zorgdragger motioned to the guards behind him, "my men will not hesitate to put a bullet in your leg."

Mac's breathing hitched. He glanced at the viewing window where Riley and Gabel were watching. Gabel's face was contorted in morbid satisfaction, either from the kiss he'd just received or because of the events taking place. Riley was watching with a mixture of horror and disgust, her face so pale Mac could have sworn it was turning green.

"Well?" The doctor asked, his grin widening.

Mac silently cursed and snatched the needle off the cot, eyeing the green-yellow liquid nervously. He didn't know what the needle contained; it wasn't one of the regular drugs that the doctor administered and Mac wasn't sure if that should reassure him or scare him.

Dr. Zorgdragger cleared his throat and Mac nodded, understanding it was his last chance. Hesitantly he pushed the needle against the flabby part of his arm, holding his hand as steady as he could, then he plunged the needle into his flesh.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! Sorry for such a long wait! For whatever reason, I found this chapter extremely difficult to write, and it took me a while to decide what was going to happen. :P Anyways, I hope that you enjoy and please leave a review to tell me what you think. Also, on a side-note for the last chapter: I'm honestly not sure if Mac's little stunt with the radio is at all realistic or would work, but hopefully you guys were able to use your imagination. :) I hope this chapter flows well and makes sesne, especially when it comes to the helicopter scene (considering I have NO experience with helicopters) Once again: A huge thank-you to everyone who leaves reviews! I love you guys so much!**

Chapter 16

Mac screamed.

He couldn't help it. It was like every single drug the doctor had tested on him had just been injected into his body. The symptoms were all combined and intermixed; hot and cold chills along with numbness and excruciating hypersensitivity. Mac couldn't even understand how his body was able to process each and every pain. If he hadn't been thrashing against the restraints, he might have actually marvelled at Dr. Zorgdragger's new concoction.

Mac could feel the warm trickle as blood ooze from the cuts on his wrists. Despite the restraints being made from a cotton and leather, they cut into his flesh as his body spasmed against the drug coursing through his system. It was only a couple minutes, which felt like an eternity to Mac, before he passed out.

Mac awoke to find himself in complete darkness save for three flowing lamps on the ceiling which dimly illuminated the room. Shuffling in the background told Mac that the guards were still monitoring him, just as Dr. Zorgdragger ha promised. Riley must have been escorted back to her room already. Mac just prayed she hadn't given into Gabel's demands yet.

Behind him, the guards chatted quietly, their voices low and incoherent. Mac wasn't sure if they'd noticed that he was awake yet, on the other hand, they probably didn't care. He was a helpless test subject, just like dozens before him, who was strapped down to a hospital bed. There was no way he was going anywhere.

Mac let out a long sigh. It felt like someone had just filled his bones with lead. Even if he hadn't been restrained, Mac doubted he'd be able to able to get anywhere. Simply breathing felt like far too much effort than it was worth.

Mac closed his eyes, figuring that he'd be better off getting some sleep before Phoenix showed up. That was, _if_ Phoenix showed up. Anxiety knotted Mac's stomach at the thought. He'd been so stupid not to ask Riley if she knew their location. Matty and the team were probably all playing a big game of hide-and-seek with no real clue as to where their hider might be. Even if they did show up, who was to say that they'd be able to get both him and Riley out in one piece? The odds were definitely not favourable.

Mac let his eyes slip shut, realizing there wasn't much he could do now. He'd just have to hope that Phoenix would be able to decipher his message and then sweep down every clinic in or near Los Angeles.

Suddenly the room exploded.

The hospital bed, along with Mac, was catapulted across the room. Mac jerked at the restraints, attempting to shield himself from the concrete, glass, and plaster raining down on him. The bed tipped over, unable to withstand the impact, and Mac was thrown against the counter on the other side of the room, sandwiched between the bed and the wooden cupboards. Glass fragments cut at his face and buried themselves in his hair. Mac jerked helplessly as the shards slithered down his shirt and piled on the overturned hospital cot.

That's when he felt something, no, _someone_ taking hold of the bed. The person was grunting with the effort, prying the bed from the rubble and attempting to tip it off its side. Mac squinted upwards but the smoke and dust were clouding the air and he couldn't make out the figure above him.

"Jack?!" Mac shouted. He could barely hear his voice over the ringing in his ears.

"No you idiot!" Came an exasperated response.

Mac wanted to scream in frustration as Dr. Zorgdragger's voice filled his ears. Suddenly the bed was lifted from the rubble and wheeled into the hallway. The flickering lights above illuminated the doctor along with three other bewildered guards.

The doctor's face was horribly cut and misshapen. His nose was obviously broken and Mac wondered if his jaw was also. Blood was running down his forehead and leaking from his nose while fluids seeped from his swollen eyes. He'd obviously been near the explosion when it went off.

Dr. Zorgdragger spit out a torrent of curses as he dragged Mac down the hall. Mac jerked at the restraints in a fruitless attempt to free himself. One of the restraints on his right ankle had been torn and Mac was able to move his leg, but not enough to do any good. His foot was still tangled in the strips of leather that made up the remainder of the restraint.

"Jack!" Mac screamed. His voice cracked. Dr. Zorgdragger swore and brought a hand down on Mac's abdomen. The air was completely knocked from Mac's lungs.

"Shut up you idiot!" The doctor ordered. His words were slurred together and spit flew from his mouth when he spoke. His jaw was definitely broken. Mac felt his stomach lurch as the doctor dragged the hospital cot around the corner and flew down the hall. The white uniformed guards followed closely behind.

Suddenly there was a shot and the entire bed toppled over. Mac's head bounced off the tile floor and pain exploded in his skull. Dr. Zorgdragger landed in a heap on top of Mac, screaming in agony. Blood was seeping from a hole his chest, but he wasn't dead yet. Anger and adrenaline were somehow keeping the madman alive, despite the enormous amount of blood that was leaking all over his white coat and soaking into Mac's aqua pajamas.

The doctor stretched out his gangly, blood-covered fingers and wrapped them around Mac's throat. He began to squeeze, slowly tightening his grip. Mac jerked against the restraints, using his free leg to kick the doctor as hard as he could manage. But he was already weak. His kicks barely fazed the crazed doctor and black dots began to float into his vision.

"Jack..." Mac managed to breathe. The world had almost disintegrated when there was another shot and the doctor's limp body collapsed on the floor in a puddle of blood and sweat. Mac began to cough uncontrollably as hands began loosening the restraints and pulling his body clear of the hospital cot.

"Hey, bud I got you," Jack soothed. He wrinkled his nose at the blood and sweat coating Mac's pajamas. Most of the blood was the doctor's, but it was obvious from his bloodied and raw wrists that some of it was Mac's.

"Jack?" Mac whispered in disbelief. He let out a hysterical laugh and slumped against the wall as another fit of coughing overtook his body. Jack swung his partner's arm around his neck and pulled his from the floor. He knew Mac needed the rest, but on the other hand, they needed to get out of the clinic as soon as possible.

Mac's head hung limply against his chest as Jack helped him walk down the hall. His breathing slowly steadied itself despite the adrenaline that was still coursing through his body.

"Riley?" Mac asked as he attempted to lift his head.

"We got her out before my team basically blew this place to bits. You were a bit harder to find. I think from this point on you should wear some sort of tracking device. It'd save me having to hunt you down all the time," Jack joked as he rounded another corner.

Mac let out a weak chuckle before tripping over his own feet and face-planting into the floor. Jack swore, then crouched down and picked Mac up, bridal style.

"You were always the uncoordinated one," Jack teased as he gathered Mac into his arms. Mac managed another weak laugh before he burst out coughing again.

There was a squeaking of door hinges before Jack stepped out into the sunlight and carried Mac towards the waiting helicopter where Riley was impatiently waiting, cradling an open laptop on her lap. Her expression faltered when she saw the blood covering Mac's shirt. Jack shook his head as he saw the worry cross Riley's face and Riley let out a sigh of relief. She jumped out of the helicopter and jogged across the pavement to meet Jack.

"Thank God," she said as she gave Jack and Mac a quick hug. Jack grinned and pushed her forwards.

"We've got to get you guys back to Phoenix, especially Mac here," Jack shouted over the whirring helicopter blades. Riley nodded and turned back towards the helicopter. Jack quickly bundled Mac into the aircraft and hopped in, making sure Riley was also comfortable. Both pilots gave a quick nod and the helicopter rose off the ground. Jack watched as the rest of the Phoenix team filed out of the destroyed clinic and headed towards the armoured vehicles parked around the block.

They'd only been in the air for a couple of minutes before Jack realized they were heading in the wrong direction.

"Hey Ted, what's going on?" Jack asked, tapping the first pilot's shoulder.

Ted turned around, face pale and firm. In his hand was a gun, safety disengaged and finger wrapped around the trigger.

"Look, he's got my wife and kids," Ted said. His hands shook as he spoke and tears welled in his eyes. He nodded towards the second pilot whose jaw was firmly clenched. "He's got John's sister too."

Jack instinctively went for his gun but Ted reached back and shoved his gun against Riley's head. "I don't want to do this man! But if any of you move, I swear I'll put a bullet in her!"

Riley swallowed as the cold metal was pressed against her forehead. She didn't have to say anything before Jack slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Ok ok. But Ted, you really don't want to do this," Jack began.

"I'm not letting him hurt my wife and kids!" Ted screamed back, tears now flowing down his face unchecked.

"Phoenix can find your wife and kids. They can find John's sister. This doesn't have to turn out like this," Mac tried, pushing himself upright.

Ted shook his head wildly. "Gabel said you'd try negotiating. But listen, he's got both me and John hooked up with listening devices. If we try anything, _anything,_ they're dead." Ted leaned back further and applied more pressure to Riley's forehead. Riley closed her eyes, pursing her lips and trying to keep as still as possible in the rocking helicopter. "Now, Mac, I want you to take all of Jack's guns and weapons, and hand them to me. Then you're going to take these zip-ties and tie Riley and Jack's ankles together and their hands behind their back."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! So sorry for another long wait! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :) Also, do you guys think the story is dragging on too much or are you really enjoying it? 'Cause I really love writing this story, but if you feel it is losing the touch, I don't want to drag it on too much longer :) Just leave me a review and tell me what you think! (Of course we still have a few more chapters at the** _least_ **so don't worry!) A special thank-you to everyone who's been with me this long! You guys are amazing and you mean so much to me! On a side-note: I wrote this chapter in a rush because I felt bad for not updating for so long so apologies for any spelling/grammar errors or anything that doesn't make sense. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review!**

Chapter 17

Mac glanced warily at Jack who nodded and glanced down at his vest. Hesitantly, Mac reached over and began to work at the velcro strap that was clipping one of Jack's guns in place. His hands shook relentlessly, and Mac sighed in frustration. Unclipping _all_ of Jack's weapons was going to take a lot longer than Ted would be expecting, considering how much his hands were still trembling. If Ted thought he was stalling… well, who knows what the man would do.

Jack watched as Mac shakily pulled the first gun from its allotted compartment. He pulled his brow together in concern as the blond fumbled with the gun and handed it to Ted. Mac glanced back at Jack and clenched his jaw as he got to work at the second compartment. It seemed like an eternity before he managed to wrap this shaking fingers around the small buttoned pocket and rip it open. Inside was a compact pocket knife- not much of a weapon but definitely useful for making cool gadgets. Mac was tempted to hold on to it and if Ted hadn't been burrowing the gun barrel into Riley's head, he might have. As far as Mac knew, Gabel still had his swiss army knife and he felt completely lost without it.

"Get a move on Mac," Ted demanded. His voice was firm and serious, yet Mac could hear the thick layer of guilt that he was choking over. The man was no killer, yet he was ready to risk his pride, career, and life for his wife and kids. Mac couldn't blame him- he'd do the same in a second. Hadn't he already done just that, only this time risking himself for his Phoenix family, Avery, and her father?

"Mac…" Ted hissed, noticing just how slowly Mac managed to open up each compartment.

Mac paused and turned towards Ted. "Look, Ted, this isn't as easy as you might think. Ok?" Mac held out his shaking hand so that Ted could see. "My hands haven't stopped shaking like for the past 3 days. Opening these small compartments isn't exactly a walk in the park at this point. So have a little patience," Mac snapped.

Ted grunted, but didn't respond as Mac spent the next 10 minutes fumbling open the pockets and compartments on Jack's vest and handing each and every weapon over to Ted. As he handed the last weapon to the pilot, Ted handed him the zip-ties and nodded towards Jack and Riley.

"Look, Ted-" Mac began.

"Shut-up and do as you're told," Ted responded through gritted teeth.

Mac sighed and snatched the zip-ties from Ted's hand. Jack hesitantly turned so that Mac could bind his hands behind his back, all the while maintaining his death glare with Ted.

Mac wrapped the first zip-tie around Jack's wrist then sighed angrily when he realized he'd have to feed one end of the zip-tie through the locking head on the other end- a task that would be 10X harder considering his still trembling hands.

Mac sucked in a breath, then pursed his lips and bent closer to Jack's hands, stupidly hoping that maybe somehow his proximity to the zip-tie would make his hands stop shaking.

5 minutes passed. Then 10.

"Oh c'mon Mac this is just getting ridiculous!" Ted accused, curling his finger around the trigger.

"Don't!" Mac shouted as Ted fingered the trigger. Riley's breathing hitched and the muscles in her neck bulged as she fought the urge to try and knock the gun out of Ted's hands.

Mac fumbled with the zip ties and turned Jack around, then shoved the bundle into the Delta's hands.

"Look, you know I'm trying, but I just…" Mac tripped over his words as the stress and frustration caused his chest to tighten. He brought a trembling hand to his face and rubbed his forehead. "Let Jack do the zip-tying ok? Please…" his voice trailed off as he fought to suppress his emotions. He was tired, frustrated and downright sick. Trying to keep it together had never been harder.

Jack glanced from Ted to Mac, then from Mac to Ted. "Look, man, I won't try anything. Just let the kid off the hook," Jack said.

Ted didn't respond.

"He's already been through hell and back," Jack tried again, preparing to start arguing with Ted if he refused. He'd never seen the kid so frustrated. This was Macgyver, the man who could build a gun out of bubblegum and shoelaces or…. something like that. Just seeing him breaking so easily had Jack wondering just what exactly Gabel had done to him.

Ted relaxed slightly then nodded slowly.

"Ohhhhkkkk…" Jack sighed, turning to the blond. Mac gave his partner a weak grin of thanks and Jack nodded back, then motioned with his finger for Mac to turn around.

Mac shifted in his seat and clasped his hands together behind his back. Jack gave his shoulder a squeeze then wrapped the zip-tie around his partner's wrists and tightened it until there was only a small space for wiggle room.

"Tighter," Ted hissed.

Jack let out a low whistle and tightened the zip-ties all the way. Mac flinched as the plastic cut into his already raw wrists and Jack let out a mumbled apology and swore.

"Ankles too," Ted reminded.

Jack shook his head angrily, then helped Mac turn back around so that he could lift his feet and place them on the Delta's lap. Mac shifted awkwardly, attempting to keep the zip-tie from cutting into his wrists anymore than it already was.

Suddenly something started beeping. John flinched in his seat and Ted turned his attention away from Riley for a split second to sneak a glance at his partner.

Jack froze, zip-tie half wrapped around his partner's ankles. "What's that?" He asked as the beeping began to speed up.

"Nothing. Keep going," Ted responded, his voice was a pitch higher than normal.

"Look, man, if we're going down you could at least have the decency to say something," Jack snapped back.

"I said keep going!" Ted shouted, pulling the gun back and smashing it across Riley's face. Riley curled away, then straightened again as Ted grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her upright. A small trickle of blood seeped from a cut on her cheek.

"You son of a-" Jack began, curling his fists.

"Jack…" Riley pleaded, tears brimming in her eyes as Ted shoved the gun against her temple again.

Jack huffed angrily, then turned back to Mac who still had his legs awkwardly swung over Jack's lap. The beeping continued to get louder but neither John or Ted seemed to be doing anything about it. Jack fed the zip-tie through the mouth then pulled it tight, apologetically glancing at Mac.

The whole helicopter suddenly jerked to the left.

Mac slammed into Jack who slammed into Riley. It was a domino effect. Ted dropped the gun and Jack immediately dove for it but was thrown back as the helicopter dipped to the right with a sudden movement. He ended up squashing Mac against the right side of the helicopter and cushioning Riley as she was catapulted into his arms. Mac immediately cried out as his wrists were caught between the door and three people's weight and the plastic zip-ties bore into his skin.

"Ted! What's going on man!?" Jack screamed, desperately trying to pull himself to the other end of the chopper if only to stop squishing Mac.

Ted's eyes were wide with horror as the sudden realization hit him. Gabel had rigged the helicopter. The madman didn't really have any intentions of keeping up his end of the bargain. All he wanted was for Mac, Jack and Riley to be dead. It didn't matter if Ted or John happened to be killed in the process. Their families were most likely also as good as dead.

"He cheated us!" Ted screamed, suddenly erratic. John was desperately punching buttons on the dash but to no avail and Ted began to claw at the windows and cry hysterically. The chopper was going down. There was no saving it now. Gabel had made sure of that.

But that wasn't the worst of it. By a quick glance out the window, all 5 passengers could see that the landing was going to be much worse than any normal crash. Because this crash wasn't any normal crash- the way the chopper was headed meant that this crash was going to be just off the coast and in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay.


	18. Chapter 18

**Before you read anything, please know that I have ZERO knowledge of what it's like to be in a helicopter when it crashes in the water. I don't know if the door windows could really fly off like they did or how fast the cabin would fill with water in this situation. So for the purposes of this chapter, please just use your imagination :P. Also, I honestly don't know how strong zip-ties actually are, but according to good-ol'-google, a heavy duty zip tie can hold up to 120lbs of pressure before it breaks, soo..? Anyways, all the wonderful reviews left yesterday for Chapter 17 really encouraged me to write this next chapter. So here it is, earlier than originally expected! Enjoy!**

Chapter 18

Falling.

That was about the only sensation that Mac was aware of anymore. The stark blueness of the water was rising closer and closer as the chopper fell from the sky, controls and buttons beeping and flashing. Ted was crammed against the ceiling as the aircraft twisted and turned while Jack was flattened against the wall. Mac was thrown on the ceiling, then into John's seat as the chopper twisted again. John wasn't even in his seat when Mac landed there. His limp body was glued to the window where a steady flow of blood was running down his face. There was a smear of crimson on the window.

The aircraft twisted again and Mac cried out as he was ripped from his seat and thrown towards Riley. Riley attempted to avoid Mac's flying body but only managed to smash herself against the window. She let out a scream as the bone snapped in her arm and pain whipped through her shoulder and elbow. Mac tried, but ultimately couldn't avoid colliding with Riley and squishing her already broken arm against the door. Despite the way he was being thrown around the cabin, the zip-ties on his wrists and ankles remained taut.

Riley let out another scream as Mac crashed into her. They were glued to the door for only a few moments before the chopper dipped again and the two of them were thrown into the pilot's seat along with Jack.

Then they hit the water.

And earsplitting noise ripped through the cabin as the door window was torn from aircraft and water swirled into the cabin. Time suddenly shifted into slow motion as the chopper began sinking into the inky water. The opposite door window was also torn from the aircraft and Ted's limp body was pushed from the cabin and into the bay. John, on the other hand, remained in the backseat where he had been tossed. The seatbelts had somehow twisted themselves around his torso and were holding him in place. But it wouldn't be long before the torrent of water washed him away too.

Mac jerked as the icy water spilled over his chest, then over his face. He barely had a chance to take a breath when the water swirled into his nostrils and eyes. The feeling in his hands began to completely evaporate- not that is was ever there in the first place. The zip-ties had already left most of his arms and hands numb and the freezing water only sealed the deal.

Something bumped his leg from underneath and although the cabin was dark now, Mac could make out the murky form of Jack underneath him. The Delta had obviously managed to hold his breath when they had plunged into the bay and as far as Mac could see, the man was uninjured. At least, that was from what Mac could _see._ Which wasn't exactly much.

The water continued to pour into the cabin but there was still a small amount of breathing space in the cockpit, just above Mac's head. Jack was pushing towards it, probably not even aware that Mac was above him, and beside him was Riley, who'd already managed to reach the small area of air that was slowly diminishing.

Jack broke the surface, practically choking on the water that he managed to swallow as he rose. He smacked his head on the window in the cockpit, then sank back into the water before emerging again. Riley was panting, cradling her broken arm against her chest while still managing to remain above the surface. Jack glanced over to Riley, then behind him. His heart leapt into his throat he realized that Mac wasn't there.

"He's still zip-tied," Riley gasped in horror.

Just beneath her, Mac was struggling for air. He tried to push upwards but just before he could break the surface something caught the zip-tie on his ankle and pulled him down.

Riley immediately ducked back under, popping her eyes open and searching for Mac. But she couldn't see a thing in the inky water. Instead, she reached out her good arm and felt around the cabin. Nothing.

Jack did the same, running his hands over the controls and seats. He finally bumped into Mac, practically kneeing his partner in the face and causing the blond to completely lose the air he had been holding. Frigid water rushed into Mac's mouth and filled his lungs. He jerked instinctively towards to surface despite the fact that his ankles were still caught below him.

Jack wrapped his arms around Mac's torso, pulling him upwards as he ascended. But just as his head broke the surface, he realized that Mac's hadn't. Something was holding the kid down. Riley came up panting, just as Jack was about to delve into the water again.

"He's stuck. I'm gonna get him lose. Make sure he gets to the surface when I do that," Jack instructed quickly, diving back into the water again. Riley nodded as the water continued to rise and swirl around her.

Jack plunged down, running his hands down Mac's leg until he reached the kid's ankles. He squeezed Mac's ankle, trying to get him to stop jerking. It was only making getting him loose 10X harder. But Mac was drowning. He couldn't hold still even if he wanted to. Everything inside him was fighting for air. For life.

Jack felt around the zip-ties while trying to avoid Mac who was writhing in the water. He managed to feel his way down to a long strip of a torn seat belt that had caught on the head of the grabbed hold of the material and pulled, shredding the skin on his fingertips in the process. It wasn't long before the material gave. Jack pushed himself towards the surface, already feeling the pressure in this chest as he lungs screamed for air. Meanwhile, Riley grabbed hold of Mac and pulled him upwards.

Mac broke the surface coughing. His head smacked against the window above him as he struggled to take in air and Riley desperately tried to keep him above the still rising water with her good arm. Jack suddenly appeared beside her and wrapped Mac in a hug to keep him from sinking.

"We need a knife to cut these zip-ties," Jack growled, eyeing the water again.

"Jack, you can't go back down there," Riley panted back, grimacing as pain shot through her arm while she attempted to keep herself above the surface.

"Riles, this isn't up for argument! There's no way Mac's gonna make it to the surface with those stupid zip-ties on," Jack shot back, preparing to dip into the water again.

"You're not going to be able to come back up for air if you go back under, Jack," Riley said, glancing around her.

Jack knew she was right. The water was rising quickly. In only a few seconds there would be no air left in the cabin.

"We're not that deep in the bay yet. If we go now, we'll be able to get to the surface without needing air," Mac croaked as the coughing subsided and he drew in a breath of air.

"Yeah, except one problem genius! You can't swim with zip ties on!" Jack yelled back louder than intended, pure frustration coating his voice. He wasn't about to leave Mac behind, no matter what the kid said.

Mac tried to smile as the water rose above his shoulders and began to lap at his chin. "Yeah, well, I'll figure something out. Riley's arm is broken, thanks to me, so she'll need someone to help her swim" he responded in a weak voice while flexing his arms in a futile attempt to break the zip-ties. Jack could feel the exhaustion taking over Mac's body as the seconds ticked by. There was no way the kid was going to 'figure something out' now. Not when he was zip-tied and purely exhausted from whatever ordeals he'd experienced at the hands of Gabel before the whole chopper adventure.

The water rose up above Jack's mouth as he struggled to keep his partner above the surface for a few more precious seconds. They were running out of time to come up with a decent plan. Riley didn't even have time to voice her argument before the frigid iciness covered her head and forced her under. Mac took one last breath and plunged down along with Jack who refused to let go of him.

The trio began to make their way to the door of the helicopter and into the bay.


	19. Chapter 19

**Awwww, thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys are truly amazing for taking the time to give me feedback and tell me what you think about the story :). Again, those wonderful reviews really encouraged me to get writing this next chapter so here is it. Hope you guys enjoy!**

Chapter 19

Riley was the first to the door or the chopper. She didn't bother trying to push the door open but rather swam through the window. She wanted to glance behind her and make sure Jack and Mac were following, but she was already struggling for air and her arm was on fire despite most of the feeling in her body numbing as the cold water swirled around her. As much as she hated admitting it, Mac was right. Swimming was much harder with a broken arm, and even though she could kick with her legs, she was moving much slower than she normally would. Glancing back to make sure Mac and Jack were near was only going to slow her down. What she needed to focus on was getting to the surface before she blacked out.

Meanwhile, just behind her, Jack was struggling to hold on to Mac while simultaneously swim to the surface. Jack was holding on to the thin material of Mac's pajamas- barely. It was difficult to swim while dragging Mac up with him. And even though Mac wasn't really dead weight, he wasn't exactly what one might call a "willing participant". It was true, the kid was genuinely trying. But swimming with his wrists and ankles zip-tied wasn't exactly ideal.

Jack couldn't even see the surface yet but his lungs burned. Wasn't the average person supposed to be able to hold their breath for three minutes? Or was it three seconds? Because it sure felt like that. They'd barely cleared the chopper before his lungs were screaming for air.

Jack tried to ignore the burning in his chest and continued to swim. Kick. Stroke. Pull Mac. Kick. Stroke. Pull Mac. He kept repeating this process, even as black dots began to trickle through his vision. Kick. Stroke. Pull Mac.

That's when something suddenly yanked Mac away from him.

Jack screamed. He couldn't help it. Water began to rush into his lungs as he watched Mac being pulled down by something. No. Wait. _Someone._ Pure horror struck him as he realized who it was. It was Ted.

Jack might have sworn had he not had a mouth full of water. How the hell was Ted still alive? They'd all seen him being swept from the cabin when the window had smashed. He would have drowned a long time ago without any access to air. Yet, there he was, clawing Mac and desperately trying to reach the surface. He didn't even seem to care that he was drowning Mac in the process.

Jack felt unconsciousness taking over. He needed air. Now. Everything in him was screaming at him not to leave Mac behind, but he knew he couldn't help the kid if he was dead. He was going to have to get some air, then come back down and hope Mac hadn't drowned by then.

Jack pushed towards the surface, knowing it was only seconds away but feeling like it was hours. Beneath him, Mac struggled against Ted. The pilot was hysteric, clinging on to Mac as if he might magically float to the surface. In his hands was a used emergency breathing apparatus and as Mac recoiled from Ted's grip, the apparatus fell from his hands. It was standard for the helicopter to have at least one of these apparatuses in the cockpit and Mac could only assume Ted had somehow managed to snatch it before they crashed.

Above him, Jack broke the surface, hungrily gulping the fresh air. Riley splashed next to him, relieved that he'd even come up at all.

"Jack, thank God!" Riley said, doggy paddling towards Jack. "Mac? Mac! Jack, what happened to Mac?" Riley sputtered. She accidentally dipped under the water, then resurfaced again.

Jack shook his head quickly, not wanting to take the time to answer, then bobbed back under. Riley took a breath and joined him, trying to ignore the pain radiating in her arm. The pair dove down towards the struggling form of Mac. Ted had already swum away and most likely had already reached the surface. Mac, on the other hand, was desperately trying to push himself upwards but to no avail.

The zip-ties were cutting deeper- if that was even possible, leaving a small cloud of blood around Mac as he struggled to swim. His hair was fanned out around him and the whole scene almost looked surreal except for the extreme panic that was plastered on Mac's face. He was drowning. He wasn't going to make it.

Blackness started to take over the second the water rushed down his throat and into his lungs. Mac knew he should be fighting it, but now he felt he could only welcome it. The burning began to subside and a tingling numbness filled his joints. He almost felt relaxed- something he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever. He didn't even feel Jack or Riley's arms as they pulled him upwards. He didn't breathe the crisp air or laugh as the adrenaline began to wear off when he reached the surface. He didn't do anything.

Jack hugged the limp form of his partner and searched the bay, looking for something or someone to help. As if on cue, a speed boat roared up beside them and two very worried boaters pulled Riley, Jack, and Mac from the water. Immediately one of the lied Mac down on the small deck and began CPR.

Pain lanced through Mac's entire body as he flew forwards and coughed up a river of water. He then sucked in a breath and nearly choked again.

"Whoa. Easy there fella," Jack soothed as he rushed forwards and helped Mac turn to his side. Mac didn't respond. His eyes were squeezed shut as another bout of coughing overtook him. He curled himself in a fetal position.

"We need a knife. Now," Jack commanded the two boaters. One of them, a teen boy with a dark mop of hair and tanned skin nodded absently and began to rummage through a storage compartment underneath one of the seats. He quickly produced a pocket knife and tossed it to Jack. Jack pulled Mac forwards so that the wheezing kid was leaning against his shoulder, then he cut through the bloodied zip-ties on his wrists.

Mac screamed. Well, at least screamed as loud as his lungs could manage at the moment, which was more of a gasp. The second the blood flow was restored to his hands, it felt like someone had just placed his entire palm on a hot stove element. Mac pulled away from Jack and rolled onto his stomach, then gagged and threw up on the deck. He tried to lift himself but his arms collapsed uselessly when they took on his weight. Jack quickly took this opportunity to saw through the heavy duty zip-tie around Mac's ankles.

"Why was he bound like that?" The boy asked, his voice thick with a Spanish accent. The question was full of innocence and pure concern for his new passengers, but Jack couldn't be bothered to answer. Riley, who was sitting on the edge of the boat now and cradling her arm against her chest, replied.

"Long story short: Let's just say that we had a bit of a run in with some bad people," she croaked. He throat was raw and itchy from swallowing so much water and she was beginning to shiver.

Mac continued to dry heave until he passed out from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Jack rolled him onto his back and propped him up against the side of the boat. The older of the two boaters, a man in his late 50s with thin shaggy grey hair, nodded when Jack motioned for them to head to shore. He immediately started the motor and sped towards the dry land.

"We picked up another man about your age," the older man yelled to Jack over the roar of the motor. His accent, although strong, wasn't as thick as the boy's. "We thought he was the only survivor of the crash. We brought him to shore but then Diego saw you three pop out of the water and so we headed back. He's waiting on the land now."

Diego, the younger boy, smiled proudly. Jack nodded in gratitude and hugged Mac against his chest as the boat jumped over the waves. Diego quickly stripped his hoodie off and offered it to Jack who thanked the teen and covered Mac's shaking body with it.

As the boat neared the shore, Jack could make out the figure of a sopping wet man standing among the Pheonix agents who had just arrived and taken over. Even though he couldn't see his face, Jack knew who the man was. It was Ted. Beside him was the small but determined Matilda Webber, waiting impatiently for her agents to be delivered to shore.

Riley winced as the boat hit another wave and pain lanced through her arm again. Diego offered her an apologetic grimace and shouted something in Spanish to the older man. The boat immediately slowed enough to prevent its passengers from being jostled around so much. Riley gave Diego a weak smile.

As they came up to the docks, the emergency Phoenix medical staff swarmed the boat along with Bozer who immediately began to ramble off a series of questions which neither Jack nor Riley had the energy to answer. He was then interrupted by Matty who was standing on the dock.

"Let's get you guys back home," Matty declared.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! After a little wait, here's the next chapter! Sorry for a sort of awkward ending to this chapter, I didn't really know how to leave it off. Also, sorry if any of the medical stuff coming up is inaccurate. I don't know much medical stuff ;P. Anyways... hope you enjoy! Please leave a review!**

Chapter 20

Avery and her father had slept on the cushioned beige benches that the hospital passed off as chairs the whole night. Beside them, in a slightly elevated hospital bed, was Mac who had been unconscious ever since they'd got there. The blond was hooked up with a thousand different tubes, each one supplying his weak body with who-knows-what drugs. His wrists were heavily bandaged as was a wound on his shoulder. And even though Avery had asked several questions about what happened to Mac, she was only given a short summary.

The most she knew was that Mac had been exposed to a lot of harmful drugs that, according to some medical tests, were still affecting his body. Most of the tubes they had him hooked up to were supplying him with antibiotics to counteract the drugs he'd been given.

Jack had stayed awake all night beside Mac's bed, but Mac still hadn't woken up. He'd had a lengthy and somewhat heated conversation with one of the doctors before he'd left to roam the halls, grumbling something about Mac being a tough kid. The doctor had then assured Avery and her father, who had been watching the whole conversation, that Mac's body simply needed time to readjust itself. He would wake up when his body felt it was ready. No sooner, no later.

Avery slowly stirred as the morning light filtered in through the white blinds. Beside her, Dan Vanteen slept soundly. Her father had insisted they'd go home, get some rest and return in the morning, but Avery had refused. As far as she knew, Mac had just gone through hell for her and her father. The least she could do was keep him company- even if he wasn't conscious.

Avery wriggled out from under her father's arm, being careful not to wake him. The dark circles under Dan's eyes were visible proof of just how exhausted he was and Avery almost felt bad for insisting that they stay the whole night. Sleeping on the cushioned benches didn't exactly pass off as a good night's rest. On the other hand, Dan had already had several days to recover. According to the doctors at Phoenix, he was doing pretty well physically. Mentally, he was still going to need some time.

Mac twitched and Avery quickly strolled to the side of the bed, expecting Mac to stir but the blond's body relaxed again.

"Avery?" Dan's sleep coated voice came from behind her. The CIA agent slowly pushed himself upright and rubbed a hand over his face, trying to rid the exhaustion from his eyes.

"Hey dad," Avery offered, turning and giving her father a weak grin. Dan apologetically scanned over his daughter and put on the most optimistic face he could muster.

"You hungry?" He asked, smoothing out his wrinkled sweatshirt.

Avery shrugged, sneaking a glance back at Mac. Dan didn't miss the small gesture.

"C'mon, baby, you can't just hang out here forever. You need some food. There's a cafeteria just down the hall we can eat at," Dan tried. Avery pursed her lips and rubbed her toe across an imaginary smudge on the tiled floor. "We'll be close by."

Avery finally let out a defeated sigh and nodded. "Yeah, ok. I guess I am sort of hungry," she admitted.

Dan chuckled. " _Sort of?_ I think I can hear your stomach grumbling from over here," he teased. Avery's grin widened.

Dan grunted and pushed himself off the cushioned bench. He held his arm out and Avery buried herself into his chest. She stole one more glance back at Mac before her and Dan headed toward the cafeteria. The smell of food wafted down the hall and made her mouth water. Dan was right- she was a lot hungrier than she cared to admit.

They made their way into the open area where a skylight was letting in the first few rays of morning sunlight. Jack was hunched over a table at the far end of the room, absently sipping from a long cooled cup of coffee. When he saw Dan and Avery enter he attempted to perk up. The CIA agent and his daughter pretended not to notice the fatigue coating the Delta's features as Jack motioned them over.

"Morning," Jack greeted. Despite his attempt to sound awake, his voice came out as more of a mumble. Truth was, he'd stayed up all night and was in desperate need of sleep. He'd visited Riley a couple times but she'd finally drifted off around 5:00am. He'd eventually moseyed on back the cafeteria, ordered a cup of coffee, and sulked there since.

"Where's Riley?" Avery asked, suddenly feeling guilty for not asking about her earlier. She'd been so concerned about Mac that she hadn't even noticed when Riley hadn't come to visit along with Jack or Bozer last night. Bozer had left around 3:00 in the morning, mumbling something about making sure Riley was doing ok, but Avery hadn't thought much of it until now.

A look of confusion crossed Jack's face before he realized just how little Avery or her father actually knew about what happened after they'd located Mac and Riley at the clinic. He doubted anybody had even bothered to fill the two in. They probably didn't know about the whole helicopter incident or even what Gabel had put Mac and Riley through before that. Heck, _he_ hadn't even known the extent of what they'd gone through until he'd talked to Riley earlier that morning.

"She's on the level below us," Jack replied, motioning to his arm. "Had to get a cast for a broken arm and is pretty tired. She wanted to come visit Mac but I told her to stay put. She can't do much for him when he's still unconscious."

Jack almost laughed at the irony of his own words. Wasn't he the one who'd just pulled an all nighter to stay awake for his partner who hadn't even woken up?

"Is she…?" Avery started.

Jack shook his head, sliding his cup around on the wooden surface of the table. "Not near as bad as Mac. She's more emotionally hurt than physically."

Dan nodded, then pulled out a chair and sat down. Avery quickly joined him.

"Jack, I don't know what kind of protocol you guys are supposed to follow for stuff like this, but can I ask what happened?" Dan asked, leaning forward and lowering his voice. Even if they were the only ones in the cafeteria, he didn't want to risk being overheard.

Jack jabbed his thumb behind him to the counter where a sleepy-eyed cafeteria lady was busying herself. "You might want to grab breakfast first."

Dan nodded and he and Avery began to make their way to the counter, scanning the menu on the screens as they made their way over.

"I'm gonna check on Mac for a sec," Jack stated quickly before wandering down the hall towards Mac's room. He picked his pace up to a jog and pulled open the door. When he entered the room he froze in shock.

It took a moment for Jack to actually process what he was seeing. Mac was awake- very much so. His eyes were wide with panic and a thin layer of blood covered his arms and bedsheets. On his lap lay the IV along with several other tubes he'd ripped out.

"Mac!" Jack yelled, louder than he intended.

Mac whipped his head up in surprise as he pulled yet another tube from his arm. His rapid breathing hitched when he saw Jack and a look of pure confusion crossed his face.

Jack strode across the room, grabbing Mac by the shoulders and easing him back into the bed which he was attempting to climb out of. He quickly pressed the call button beside Mac's bed and began to move aside the bloodied IV tubes Mac had ripped out.

The tension slowly slipped from Mac's muscles and he covered his face with his bloody hands.

"I'm sorry Jack. I thought… I thought I was…" Mac breathed. He let out a sigh of frustration as the realization hit him.

"You thought you were at the clinic?" Jack prompted, rubbing Mac's arm reassuringly.

Mac nodded weakly. "The IVs… and needles…"

"Yeah, I know. You're at a hospital now, okay? We're gonna get the doctor's back in here to fix you up. No problem man," Jack soothed.

Mac let his hands fall to his lap. The bleeding in his arm had mostly clotted now but there was still a trickle of blood dripping from the area where the IV needle had been inserted. Mac eyed the IV needle which was now lying on the edge of his bed and let out a shuddering breath.

"Do they have to put that thing back in me?" Mac asked, his voice suddenly shaking.

Jack clenched his jaw. "I dunno man. Probably. But listen, those are good drugs. They're not going to hurt you."

Mac nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. Jack was right. It was stupid to be afraid of the small IV needle. He wasn't at the clinic anymore. He was safe.

Suddenly a doctor and nurse came marching through the door along with Avery and Dan who'd heard the commotion and followed close behind. The main doctor, Dr. Byrd, motioned for Jack to give him some room. Jack was about to protest when Mac responded instead.

"Jack, it's fine," Mac snapped in a frustrated tone. Now that he'd finally calmed down and the adrenaline had worn off, Jack could see the embarrassment creeping over Mac's face.

Jack pursed his lips and backed away, giving the doctor and nurse more room to work. Behind him, Dan rubbed Avery's shoulders and steered his daughter out of the room. The last thing Mac probably wanted right now was an audience.

Jack eased himself onto the cushioned bench and rested his elbows on his knees, watching Dr. Byrd and the nurse as they worked to clean the blood off Mac's arms. Mac murmured an apology to them and Dr. Byrd waved his hand absently.

"No need to apologize," he assured Mac.

Mac let out a sigh and rested his head back on the pillow.


	21. Chapter 21

**Soooo… here's the next chapter! Sorry I've been so long, I've been trying to figure out where to take the story. Hopefully things will speed up after this (cross my fingers!). The beginning scene starts with them playing "cheat" in Mac's room. I think I've heard this game called by "BS" or "Bluff" too, so if you don't know what I'm talking about when I say "cheat", that's what I mean. Hope you enjoy and please read and review!**

Chapter 21

"Cheat!"

Mac leaned forward and began to pick up the deck of cards. It was the fourth time Avery had caught him. But even though Avery was proving herself to be the "cheat" champion, Riley wasn't far behind. She'd caught Avery cheating at least twice now.

Jack and Bozer suddenly waltzed in the door, each carrying a cup of coffee from the hospital cafeteria.

"Yes! A good ol' game of 'cheat'. Did you know this puppy here is the 'cheat' champion?" Jack chimed, grabbing a seat beside Riley.

Mac let out a good chuckle as he began to sort his cards. "That's only because you _actually_ cheated," Mac pointed out. He fanned out his deck in front of him and winced as he took in his newly adopted cards. "Jack would rig the deck so that he'd have fewer cards than everyone else," Mac explained.

Jack took a sip of his coffee and plastered the classical Dalton grin on his face. "It's called 'cheat' for a reason, man."

Bozer opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. "You know what, nevermind," he replied sarcastically

The corner of Mac's lips pulled up in a smirk. Only Jack could say something so stupid that Bozer would hold off on a witty remark.

"Anyways, the real reason I came over was not to play a game of 'cheat'. I actually wanted to warn y'all that Matty is coming down," Jack said.

"Warn? Is she not in a good mood or something?" Mac asked, narrowing his eyes.

Jack shrugged innocently. "Well, you know, two of her best agents were kidnapped and when she finally got them back they were a bit banged up. I'd say she's still a wee bit angry about that."

Jack squeezed his thumb and index finger together, motioning to Mac the extent of Matty's anger. Mac let out a chuckle.

"Thinking of Matty, she hasn't come around at all yet. Is there a reason for that?' Mac asked. He was trying not to sound offended, but he'd honestly hoped to see Matty a bit sooner. It'd already been about a week since him and Riley had been rescued and, as far as he knew, Matty hadn't made a single appearance at the hospital yet.

Jack frowned and exchanged a glance with Riley. Even though Mac could feel the exhaustion tugging at his eyes again, he didn't miss the look of concern on Riley's face when her eyes connected with Jack's. But Jack only shook his head slightly at Riley and plastered a grin on his face as he turned back to Mac.

Mac scrubbed his face in frustration. "Jack, I'm tired and I ache all over. But I'm not blind yet," he pushed. He raised his brow, waiting for an explanation.

Jack shook his head and ran a hand over his jaw. "Look, man. You need to focus on getting better."

Mac knit his brow together and searched the room for some support. But to his dismay, everyone cast their eyes to the floor when he met their gaze. "Oh c'mon guys. It's been a week. I'm practically fine besides the constant exhaustion. I'm sure Matty's absence isn't something that's going to send my recovery spiraling backward," Mac protested. Another scan of the room showed that there was still no one willing to spill the beans.

Avery cleared her throat and awkwardly got up. "I'm going to go find my dad. I think he wants to head home soon."

Mac scrubbed his face again, trying to convince himself that Avery was being honest and not trying to make up excuses to leave. Meanwhile, Jack shifted awkwardly, playing with the lid of his coffee cup.

"You up for another game of 'cheat' or should we call it a done deal?" Riley asked. She gathered up the cards and began to shuffle but her cast caused her to slip and drop a few of the cards on the floor.

"Jack?" Mac asked, completely ignoring Riley's not-so-subtle attempt to change the subject.

Jack rubbed a hand across his mouth and took another sip of coffee. "Look man, I already said-"

"I _am_ focussing on getting better!" Mac shouted. He hadn't meant to get so loud but the minute he'd opened his mouth he couldn't help but practically yell. The drugs the doctors were giving him were throwing his emotions completely out of whack. And the fact that nobody was telling him why Matty hadn't come around to visit was enough to push his patience to the brink.

Riley bit her lip and Mac could see her resolve crumbling.

"Riley?" Mac pushed. He wasn't about to give up yet, despite the fact that his sudden outburst was making everyone uncomfortable.

Riley shook her head and a tear spilled over her cheek. Mac pursed his lips, suddenly regretting pushing her so hard. She'd already done enough over the past few weeks.

"Look, Mac," Jack began as the guilt took over. "Truth is, Matty's been by about every day this week."

Mac let out a confused laugh. "What?" He felt a wave euphoria wash over him before it was replaced by another bout of frustration.

From the corner of the room, Bozer flinched.

Jack tossed his coffee cup from one hand to the other.

"Those drugs they gave you, they're still causing some weird stuff to go on inside you, man. You've been having memory lapses and what-not. Forgetting whole conversations and stuff."

Mac was already shaking his head before Jack could finish. "Then how come I can remember every single day from the past week? How come I remember you guys coming to visit on Wednesday and playing a game of Monopoly on Thursday?"

Jack sucked in a quick breath and bowed his head. "But do you remember the panic attack you had yesterday or how you attacked one of the nurses the day before that?"

Mac opened his mouth to respond but found all the words had left his mouth.

Jack put a hand on Mac's leg and gave him a small nod. "Like I said, you need to focus on getting better. All these symptoms and stuff, they'll get better if you just don't think about 'em too much. Okay?"

Mac didn't nod or offer any response. He just stared at the thin bed sheet, searching his memory for any sort of recollection of the things Jack had mentioned.

"Is she ok?" Mac suddenly asked, referring to the nurse he'd supposedly attacked..

Riley sucked in a breath and leaned back. "The nurse was a 'he', actually. And yeah, he's fine. You only got in a couple scratches and a few punches before they sedated you again."

Mac pursed his lips and nodded, blinking in an attempt to clear the tears from his eyes.

The silence was broken by Matty Webber as she marched into the room, bearing chocolates and a box of paperclips.

"Hi Mac, how are you feeling today?" Matty asked warmly.

Mac just stared blankly at the Phoenix director, racking his mind for a memory. His chest began to tighten and he rubbed his temples.

"Don't worry about it, Mac. It's no big deal," Jack reassured.

"It is a big deal, Jack! What if this is permanent? What if I can't go one day to the next without forgetting what I just did? What if I hurt people and I don't even realize it?" Mac argued. His voice became louder as he continued.

"Mac, just calm down! It's not going to be permanent," Bozer tried.

"It's not?" Mac asked hopefully.

Bozer stumbled over his words as he realized the lie he'd been caught in. "Well, no. I mean, kinda. Like... the doctor said-"

Mac swore loudly, cutting Bozer off and sweeping the entire room in silence. Jack took the opportunity to give Bozer an angry glare. Bozer quickly held his hands up in defense but Jack ignored him and turned his attention back to Mac who was working himself up to another panic attack.

"Mac, it's going to be fine-"Matty began placing the paperclips and board game on the bedside table.

Mac placed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "Matty, I don't even remember you coming," he mumbled.

"I know. But if you keep thinking about it, you're just going to get worse," Matty replied.

Mac opened his mouth to respond but he was suddenly cut off by a gunshot from down the hall.


	22. Chapter 22

**Here's the next chapter! Please read and review! Also… it'd be great if you guys could tell me how I'm doing with writing Mac, Jack, Riley, Bozer and Matty. I've been having a hard time keeping them in character lately so hopefully they don't stray too much from their regular personalities. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 22

Blood.

That was the one thing that Maria, the cafeteria lady, wasn't hoping to be seeing today. Or ever. Despite working in a hospital, she wasn't at all accustomed to the sight of blood. After all, she worked in the _cafeteria_. There was no need to have a stomach for those kinds of things. Her job was to cook up meals and snacks, not perform surgery.

But now her upper torso was completely covered in the red stuff. She'd barely seen the man pull out the gun before her shoulder had exploded in pain and the warm liquid had seeped through her fingers. Besides her, there was no one else in the cafeteria. There never really was. She was stationed in part of the hospital that rarely got visitors or mobile patients so it wasn't abnormal to not get very many customers. The only problem was that it probably meant she wasn't going to be getting help anytime soon either.

Maria slouched against the counter, unable to hold herself up anymore. Above her was a bloody handprint- _her_ handprint- on the counter. She wanted to cry out, but the man with the gun was still nearby. He thought she was dead and if she called out he might just back to finish her off.

Still… if she didn't say anything who was to say she was going to live to see tomorrow? Or the next hour for that matter? Maria let a groan slip from her mouth before she curled into herself as the pain began to radiate through her body. She silently counted to 100, morbidly watching the gooey liquid seep into her clothes and cover her hand completely.

Then she screamed.

00-00-00-00-00

"What was that?"

Jack didn't really know why he asked the question in the first place. After all, knowing what a gunshot sounded like was pretty much second nature to him. But he asked the question nonetheless.

Only seconds after everyone in the room had registered that something was wrong, Mac began ripping out his IV and the other tubes connected to his arm.

"What the hell- Mac?" Bozer rushed over as Mac let out a grunt and swung his feet over the side of the bed.

"Mac, get you skinny but back in that bed!" Matty whisper-shouted. Mac shook his head and pushed himself upright.

Jack held up his hands in an attempt to silence the room but immediately joined in with the whisper-shouting when he realized what his partner was doing. Mac didn't stop. He simply swatted away Jack's arms and lunged for the clothes sitting on the chair beside the hospital bed. Despite the gang knowing Mac's hospital stay was going to be on the long side, they'd brought him a change of clothes a couple days ago. It was already proving to have been a bad idea.

"Jack, you don't have a gun and you're gonna need some help. Am I wrong?" Mac challenged as Jack attempted to guide his partner back to the hospital bed.

Jack opened his mouth to protest but clamped it shut instead. It was true- he didn't have a gun or any sort of weapon. Hospitals always did have sticky policies about coming in armed. They probably should have moved Mac to the medical wing at Phoenix, but after Mac's outburst with the nurse they thought it best to keep him in one place. It was only proving to be yet another dumb idea.

Jack swore as Mac awkwardly slithered into the t-shirt and pants. "I've got Matty, Riley and Boze here to help. I don't need you Mac," Jack tried.

Mac groaned quietly. "Now I'm just offended."

"Mac-" Riley began.

"Look! Me and Jack are partners. _Partners._ I'm not gonna lie in that bed while Jack goes and gets shot. I can't let that happen. It's either you guys let me help or I'll just get in the way. It's your choice," Mac said.

The room was swept in silence again. Bozer fidgeted as the footsteps in the hall drew closer. A shadow appeared outside the door and everyone froze, even Mac who was balancing awkwardly on one leg as he pulled on a sock. Carefully he lowered his foot to the ground, sock crinkled on the arch of his foot.

The shadow paused and just as Jack tensed himself for the door to swing open, there was a blood-curdling scream from the cafeteria. There came a muted curse from behind the door, then the shadow shuffled away.

"That's Maria…" Mac whispered, his jaw dropping in horror as the scream echoed in the hall.

Jack gave him a questioning stare but Mac simply marched towards the door, then paused and doubled back, taking apart the IV stand and tubing.

"Maria didn't get many customers at the cafeteria so sometimes she came by late at night when I was getting drug treatments," Mac explained as he examined the IV needle.

Over the course of the week, Maria had been by about 3 times at 4 in the morning when the doctors had to check in on Mac and make sure the drugs were doing their job. Mac had usually been awake at this time so Maria would spend some time chatting before she headed out for the morning and came back later that evening for her another night shift.

Mac tested the stretchiness of the IV tubing then gave it one quick tug. He clenched his jaw approvingly- the universal "this is going to work" expression- before glancing up at Jack expectantly.

"You have it?" Mac asked.

Bozer bunched his brow together. "Have what?"

Jack just smirked and quickly dug into his pocket, producing Mac's swiss army knife. "Gabel left this behind at the clinic. Didn't want to give it to you any sooner 'cause I figured the hospital might not be standing anymore if I did."

"I knew you had it," Mac said, holding out his hand. Jack tossed the knife over, watching Mac as he got to work cutting the IV tubing and detaching the needle from it.

"Did not," Jack shot back.

"Did too," Mac replied, slicing the tubing then attaching it to the smaller pieces of the IV pole.

"Did n-"

"Cut it out!" Matty ordered.

Jack clamped his mouth shut but mouthed "did not" at Mac who was now busily making a contraption.

"Jack, you think just because I'm small I didn't see that?" Matty asked forcefully, cocking her head and giving Jack the traditional Webber glare.

Jack stuck out his bottom lip and casually massaged his jaw, shrugging subtly in a not-so-subtle attempt to look innocent.

"I was just-" Jack started.

"Save it, Dalton. Now, Mac, what exactly are you making?" Matty asked, her voice serious and determined.

Mac turned back to the gang, holding the miniature contraption in his hand.

"It'll shoot IV needles with accuracy, similar to a gun," he explained, loading the IV needle into the make-shift gun before raiding the small medical cabinet above his bed for more ammo. Fortunately, there were several other IV needles on the shelf. While most rooms wouldn't have such a large supply of them, or probably any at all, Mac figured the medical staff had been forced to keep some IV needles in easy access spots near his room after his several incidents with ripping out his IV. Fortunately, he'd been right.

"Looks kinda like the pencil shooter I made in 7th grade out of rulers, clips, and elastics," Jack pointed out as Mac handed him the gun with a shaky hand.

Normally Mac would be the one handling his own gizmos, but considering his condition, he knew Jack would be better off handling it this time. That is, if he didn't shoot himself first.

"Well, similar principles just different parts," Mac replied, pointing to the trigger mechanism and demonstrating how to load the gun.

A grin broke out on Jack's face. "So we're basically back to 7th grade again?"

Mac sucked his lips into his mouth and gave a curt nod. "Basically."

Riley let out a low groan.

"Sweet. Let's go kick some butt."


	23. Chapter 23

**Ok, ok, I know… I haven't updated in what seems like ages. I. Am. So. Sorry.**

 **I really am. Life's been really crazy and sometimes I find it really hard to work up the motivation to update this story. Thank you to everyone who's stuck around this long and waited patiently! I love you guys! Please read and review :P.**

Chapter 23

The man with the gun was large.

Not just large— gigantic. His stomach bulged over his belt and the buttons on his dress shirt looked like they were struggling to simply keep from snapping apart. When he moved—which he could do with surprising speed considering his size— his multiple chins jiggled disgustingly from his jaw. He was an easy target for the IV needle gun that Jack was aiming at him from the cover of a janitor cart in the hallway. Too easy.

Jack only had to shoot once before the man screamed and began clawing at his back. Jack reloaded the gun, stepping out from the cover of the cart. The man, whom Jack had now decided to call "meat man", raised his gun but barely had time to wrap his pudgy finger around the trigger before another IV needle pierced his arm and the gun clattered to the floor accompanied by cussing and blood. Despite the protests of Riley, Bozer, and Matty, Mac snaked around Jack and sprinted into the cafeteria. His vision was already blurring by the time he reached meat man. Mac dipped down, snatching up the gun on his way by, then collided with a table as the dizziness got the better of him.

"Mac, what are y-" Jack began. He didn't even bother finishing his sentence. Instead, he ran after Mac, keeping his IV needle contraption aimed at meat man.

Mac clumsily used an overturned chair to push himself upright. His head was swimming and he suddenly wondered if it was an early symptom of a memory lapse that would follow. The tile floor began to sway and contort itself. Mac's stomach churned.

Jack was by his side in seconds, draping Mac's arm around his neck to keep the kid from falling and hurting himself. Meat man was still screaming, and his gun halfway across the cafeteria now. Jack figured that Mac must have dropped it when he fell and it had skidded across the floor.

"Maria…" Mac mumbled, his eyes searching for the cafeteria lady. The room swirled in circles.

Jack lowered Mac to the floor, leaning him against a table leg and shoved a finger in Mac's face.

"Don't move."

Just as Mac opened his mouth to protest, Jack rotated himself and brought his elbow up, successfully connecting it with meat man's face as the goon attempted to get the jump on Jack. Meat man's nose broke with a satisfying crunch and he flew backward, tumbling into a table and causing a chair to skid across the cafeteria floor. Bozer stumbled over the chair as he ran around the far side of the cafeteria, heading towards the counter.

"Maria?" Bozer hopped over the counter a grimaced at the sight of the cafeteria woman. Her torso was covered in blood but she was still conscious, eyes fluttering open and closed.

"My arm," she sobbed, tears snaking down her face.

"Ok…. ok…" Bozer reassured. He placed his hand on Maria's shoulder and applied pressure, mumbling an apology as she groaned. Meanwhile, police and medical personnel swarmed the cafeteria. Bozer motioned them over and several medics quickly loaded Maria up on a stretcher and wheeled her down the hall. Dr. Byrd, on the other hand, jogged over to where Jack was kneeling on the ground. He quickly maneuvered around meat man who was being carted off by several officers and knelt down beside Jack.

Mac brought a hand to his head as it suddenly felt as though an ax had cut his skull in half. He let out a yelp before the pain subsided and became a dull throbbing. Mac slumped forwards where Jack was ready to catch him.

"It hurts," the blond mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I know kid, I know," Jack responded. His heart clenched as he realized Mac had said these same words before his last memory lapse. Jack gave the doctor a worried glance.

"We've gotta get him back to a bed," Dr. Byrd announced after running his eyes over his patient.

Matty watched warily from the far side of the cafeteria where she was talking on her cell, ordering Phoenix agents to get down to the the hospital in order to take custody of meat man. Riley, who had just followed Matty from Mac's room, strolled across the cafeteria and joined Bozer at the counter.

"I thought he might be getting better," Bozer mumbled as he wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt.

Riley pursed her lips and closed her eyes as Mac began to scream, hands clutching his head and muscles clenching. His brain was working against him. "Me too, Bozer. Me too."

After several more agonizing screams, Mac's body went limp and his eyes drooped shut. With the help of Dr. Byrd, Jack gently laid his partner on the stretcher. Two medics raised the stretcher, wheeling it back down the hall where now a combination of police officers and Phoenix agents were checking the rooms. Jack grabbed a chair, suddenly feeling drained himself. He sat down quickly while Matty walked over to him, shoulders slumped.

"He's not going to remember this when he wakes up, will he?" Matty asked. The words were less of a question and more of a statement when she spoke them. Everyone already knew the answer anyways.

Jack shook his head, rubbing his eyes in frustration and glancing up when Bozer and Riley joined Matty. "No. No, he won't."

 **Sooo…. Who do you think meat man is and who was he sent by? What's going to happen to Mac? Tell me what you guys think and it might give me inspiration on where to take the story next!**


	24. Chapter 24

**I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 24

"Terry Markwuth, aka 'Meat Man' is now in Phoenix custody but refusing to talk," Matty began.

Riley and Bozer sat down on the cushioned beige benches the hospital staff had squished into the small empty room adjacent to Mac's. Jack stood by the door, too angry to sit down— Mac had been unconscious for the past hour and the doctor assured everyone he wouldn't be waking up for at least another 30 minutes. After some consideration and discussion with the medical staff, Matty had decided to amp up security at the hospital and wait until Mac had woken up before moving him to the Phoenix medical wing.

"Give me a couple minutes with him and we'll have to pay him to shut-up," Jack cut in, fists clenched by his sides.

"We've got other people for that, Jack," Matty assured. Riley and Bozer exchanged surprised glances. Matty quickly continued. "Look: if you guys think that I'm not upset by that fatso walking in here, shooting an innocent person and most likely coming for our boy Mac, then you're mistaken. I'm just as upset as you are. But we can't let our emotions cloud our thinking. If we're going to be there for Mac and bring Gabel and his goons down, then we have to be thinking straight. Does everyone understand that?" Matty asked sternly.

Riley and Bozer nodded. Jack clenched his jaw and glanced at the door.

"Jack?" Matty prodded.

Jack shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms across his chest. "Yeah, yeah, ok. Just… Mac's sitting in the other room, unconscious and he's going to be waking up with no memory of what just happened! For all we know, he might not remember us telling him about his memory lapses. Matty's gonna come into the room and Mac's gonna be asking us all over again why she hasn't come to visit," Jack argued, his voice rising.

"Jack, this is hard for all of us—" Riley started.

"Oh yeah?" Jack shot back, his frustration getting the better of him. "Cause it sure as hell doesn't look like it!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bozer cut it, put off by Jack's remark.

"Well, for starters, everyone's just parading around Mac's room, bringing games and plastering smiles on their faces. Do you think avoiding the subject is really going to make it go away?" Jack replied, his voice edgy and features contorted in anger.

"You're really one to talk," Bozer jabbed, taking a step back to imitate Jack. " _Mac, focus on getting better and stop worrying about everything else."_ Bozer waved his arms around for extra touch.

"What do you expect us to do, Jack?" Riley challenged.

Jack marched across the room and jabbed a finger at Riley. "I dunno Riles, but it sure isn't playing a game of UNO and pretending nothing happened!"

Riley opened her mouth to respond but suddenly lost her voice. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she pursed her lips, not bothering to wipe the tears as they snaked down her face. Jack was taken aback, suddenly realizing what he'd just done.

"I'm sorry Riles… I didn't realize what I was saying—"

"You're sorry? Sorry?!" Riley's voice shook and cracked as she spoke. Her mascara had already melted down her face, darkening her cheeks. "You were NOT the one who had to watch Mac nearly DIE. You were NOT the one who had to kiss a madman just to watch Mac inject himself with some FREAK-ASS drug that's making him forget things. You were not…" Riley's voice trailed off into a torrent of sobs. Jack quickly wrapped his arms around her as she sunk to the ground, rocking her back and forth as Riley tangled her fingers in her hair.

"Bozer.." Matty mumbled, motioning toward the door. Bozer let his gaze linger, then nodded and followed Matty into the hall. He closed the door behind him, making sure Jack and Riley could have some privacy.

"I'm sorry Riley. Hey… hey… it's ok." Jack whispered in Riley's ear, cradling her shaking body against his own. Jack swore under his breath, suddenly regretting not talking to Riley earlier. Everyone had been so stressed— so scared that Mac wasn't going to get better and when meat man came rolling around, the fear had just escalated. But over the course of the last week, everyone had been so concerned for Mac that no one had bothered to make sure Riley was ok. And after that whole week of being strong, she was finally cracking.

Riley bit down on her own fingers, trying to keep her jaw from quivering so much as the crying racked her body. Jack ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it down and tucking the loose strands behind her ears.

"He was just… he told me I couldn't tell Gabel. But it was so hard…" Riley said, suddenly lost in her own world and barely aware of Jack's presence as he held her close to himself.

"I know, baby girl. I know." Jack gave her a tight squeeze. "But you _were_ strong. You were. So. Strong."

Riley sniffled, another torrent of tears streaming down her face. Jack wiped the tears away with his thumb, leaving a black trail of mascara behind.

"I know Mac had it way worse… but...I just...watching was so bad...I...never…" Riley's voice broke off again, suddenly lost as a wave of emotion swept over her.

Jack gave her another squeeze, pulling Riley from her thoughts and back into the hospital room. Riley glanced around, suddenly disorientated. She had barely registered the last few minutes and was suddenly aware that she was no longer standing but instead was curled up on the floor. Jack rubbed her arm and this physical touch calmed Riley. She relaxed again, curling against him and letting the last few tears drip down her cheeks.

Jack let out a breath, thankful that the episode had passed. A few minutes of silence went by before he finally spoke. "Riley, I'm really sorry. I've been so focussed on Mac I never really talked to _you._ I never thought about how traumatizing it must have also been for you. Having to watch all that… it must…" Jack shook his head. "It must have been hell."

Riley gave a small nod, new tears welling in her eyes again.

"We're going to get through this all. Ok? You don't have to pretend to be strong anymore. If you need to talk, good ol' pops will be here," Jack assured.

Riley snorted. "You're not my pops," she whispered, a shaky smile creeping onto her face. Jack chuckled, pulling away slightly so he could connect his gaze with Riley's.

"Yeah, whatever. Close enough."

"Not."

Jack gave Riley a tighter squeeze, pulling her close enough so he could rest his chin on her head. "Whatever."

 **So... I kinda realized that Riley went through a huge** **trauma** **and I haven't really got around to writing that in much so hopefully this'll make up for that!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Ok…. so sorry this has taken so long. Honestly SO SORRY. Thanks to everyone who has still stuck around considering I'm absolutely terrible at regular updates. You guys are the best.**

Chapter 25

Riley stacked the cards and shuffled them as fluidly as she could with her cast, being careful not to drop the UNO deck on the floor again.

"I'm pretty sure the reason Mac keeps winning is because Riley can't shuffle the deck properly," Jack commented, motioning to the mess of cards Riley was mixing.

"Yeah, I don't think it's pure coincidence that Mac has gotten 5 _pick up 4_ cards each and every round we've played," Bozer added.

"Well, maybe one of you two would care to shuffle the cards then?" Riley suggested, handing the deck to Jack.

Jack took the deck, examined it, then attempted to shuffle. He only succeeded in dropping the cards all over the floor and managing to catch a few in his lap. Mac chuckled and shook his head.

"The fact that you can hit a moving target smaller than your fist in target practice but can't shuffle a deck of cards is something that will never cease to awe me," Mac said sarcastically. Jack sat up, collecting the cards on his lap.

"Different hand movements," he argued.

Riley snorted and reached out, allowing Jack to hand her the mess of cards. "Would Bozer care to try?"

"Unlike Jack, I'm gonna be a man and admit that I can't shuffle cards if my life depended on it. No thanks, Ri," Bozer replied, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back.

Jack's phone dinged and he pulled his cell from his pocket, tapping the screen.

"Matty's coming soon. They've got a room set up for Mac at Phoenix," he explained.

Mac scrunched his brow together. "I've been here for a while, why are they suddenly moving me to Phoenix?"

Jack bit his lip, then glanced at Riley who glanced at Bozer. They'd all agreed that no one was going to tell Mac about his memory lapses this time round. They were just going to play it cool and act like nothing happened. If anything, telling him was only going to stress Mac out more and set back his recovery.

"Well, I guess Matty finally clued in that security is better at Phoenix than here," Jack replied jokingly.

Mac eyed Jack curiously, sensing something off about his partner's response. After a couple moments of silence he shrugged, too tired to bother questioning the suspicious explanation.

"Talking of Matty, why hasn't she been around to visit? I mean, you guys have been keeping me great company and all… but I figured Matty would have come by sooner," Mac asked. He scrunched the thin hospital sheet between his fingers, knowing he probably shouldn't be offended but still feeling offended nonetheless. Matty was a busy woman, probably 10X busier now that she was chasing down Gabel and his goons. But he still figured she would've stopped by _at least_ once.

There was another silence before Jack spoke up. "Matty's been by a couple times…" he began. Riley shot him a glare and Jack quickly cleared his throat. "But you were all drugged up so you probably don't remember much."

Mac frowned. "I don't remember anything." His tone was edgy— unbelieving.

"You were pretty drugged," Riley added, trying to reinforce Jack's poor attempt at a lie.

"And why would I be drugged up when I've literally been in the hospital for weeks trying to get _de-drugged,"_ Mac countered.

Bozer let out a nervous laugh. "They were good drugs… y'know? To counter the bad drugs…" Jack let a grimace cross his face as Mac raised his brow in sarcastic surprise. "Like medical stuff…" Bozer tried to plaster a smile on his face but it faltered— Mac already knew more about what Bozer was talking about than Bozer did himself. "Like stuff you probably know about…?"

Mac nodded. "I may have sucked at biology but I know enough to know that's not how it works Boze," Mac said. Then he shook his head laughing "You guys really suck at lying.

Jack stuck out his lower lip. "You're the one who makes it so hard."

"Sure. Ok." Mac wound the bed sheet in his fingers. "So, you guys gonna tell me what this really about?"

No one said anything. A few seconds passed, then a few minutes. Just as Mac was about to open his mouth to prompt his friends, Matty marched into the room.

"Phoenix transport is ready and so are the medical staff. You ready to go Blondie?"

 **Just so you all know, I promise that I'll finish the story. I know a few of you have voiced concerns that I won't finish (which are completely valid concerns!) and I can assure you that isn't the case. I haven't come this far just to give up :P. I started this fic and I'm going to see it through, it just might take a while. I've been dealing with a lot lately and so writing is usually one of the last things I ever think of in the day— if I even think of it at all. Thank you for your patience when it comes to the updates. Once again, you guys are the best!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 **Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

Mac was flipping through his medical file, eyes red and tired. He was supposed to be sleeping hours ago, but he couldn't help but satisfy the curiosity that had been eating at him ever since they moved him from the hospital to Phoenix. The move itself had worn him out pretty quick, but not enough to keep him from sneaking his medical file from the nurse who had been a bit too under cautious. If Jack, Riley, Bozer or Matty weren't going to tell him what was going on, then he was going to figure it out himself.

Mac frowned at the information in the file. He knew things weren't quite right, but he didn't realize they were _that_ bad. He didn't know that he was literally losing his memory, chunks at a time.

Suddenly the door creaked open and Jack stuck his head in, chuckling when Mac looked guiltily up from the papers sprawled across his lap.

"I knew you'd find a way to figure out what was going on," Jack said, slipping inside and closing the door as quietly as possible.

Mac scrubbed his face and looked back down at the medical file. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" He asked in a whisper.

Jack strolled across the room and sat down on Mac's bed hesitantly, letting out a long sigh. "Cause it's not going to help your recovery. That's why."

Mac flinched at the stress straining Jack's voice. Jack wasn't mad, but he was close to getting mad— not at Mac, but at the whole situation in general. His partner was losing his memory and Jack felt completely helpless. Mac knew how awful Jack felt every time he got hurt and he could only imagine how agonizing the past while had been for the Delta.

"Jack… I'm sorry," Mac said, suddenly forgetting the anger he had felt just moments before.

"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for? None of this is your fault. None of this—" Jack started.

"I'm sorry for not remembering," Mac cut in. Jack furrowed his brow but Mac interrupted again. "I'm kinda getting the feeling that this isn't the first time I've figured out that I'm having memory lapses."

Jack didn't say anything for a few moments. Instead, he just stared at Mac, taking in the blond's red eyes and purple bags. "Why do you say that?" He finally whispered.

Mac grinned, noticing the way his partner didn't deny what he had just said. "I think I know you well enough to know when you're hiding something, Jack."

Jack nodded, then closed his eyes as emotion clouded his vision. Mac hadn't been himself since the incident with Gabel, but he still was _thinking_ like himself. He was thinking about other people more than he thought of himself. He was thinking of Jack even though he was the one who'd just gone through hell.

"Hey, Jack?" Mac asked.

Jack opened his eyes and rubbed away the tears before they snaked down his face. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to get better," Mac said, hating the way Jack tried to smile but only managed a fake grin.

"Yeah?" Jack asked, not bothering anymore to wipe away the tears that were leaking down his face.

Mac took a moment to listen to the hum of the heating system then scrubbed his face again and began to gather up the papers on his lap. "Yeah."

Jack nodded, appearing to be reassuring himself more than he was agreeing with Mac. Mac shuffled over, patting an empty space on his bed. "You look like you need some sleep."

Jack let out a choked laugh and lied down next to Mac. "And you look like you don't even know what the word 'sleep' means," he replied as sarcastically as he could manage.

Mac chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."

Mac tensed as Jack shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable. Jack paused when Mac went stiff, then continued to position himself correctly and pretend he hadn't noticed. He remembered how embarrassed Mac had been before when he'd pulled out all the IVs in his arms and Jack didn't want to make the kid anymore awkward then he was probably already feeling.

Just as Jack got comfortable, Mac shifted to his side and leaned his face against Jack's shoulder. Jack let a small grin sneak onto his face and brushed Mac's hair to the side.

"Hey, kid?" Jack asked, being careful not to catch Mac off guard as he swept another blond lock to the side.

"Yeah?" Mac replied, his voice already slurred as sleep began to take over.

"When you were back at the hospital, how well were you sleeping?"

Mac closed his eyes, and for a couple moments Jack thought Mac had dozed off before he could answer the question. Then Mac curled himself closer to Jack and replied.

"Not much." Mac's words were barely audible as the blond slowly drifted off. "I couldn't sleep if you weren't there…"

Jack let out a breath, then placed a hand gently on Mac's shoulder as the kid completely drifted off.

The night passed slowly. Mac was conked out like a log but Jack drifted in and out of sleep, being sure that the kid was alright. It was at 4 in the morning when Jack finally woke up, completely awake this time and pretty uncomfortable. But despite his back killing him, he didn't move as Mac was still curled up with his head resting beside Jack.

That was when it happened.

Mac groaned. At first, Jack thought maybe Mac was just shifting positions, jumping between sleep cycles. But then Mac groaned again, this time louder. The blond brought his hands to his head, then turned away from Jack. Jack had just pressed the call button when Mac screamed and his eyes shot wide open.

"Hey, Mac? Mac, it's gonna be ok. Just focus on my voice. Mac?!" Jack started, hands grabbing Mac's shoulders and trying to keep the kid calm. But Mac didn't hear a word Jack said, instead he writhed in pain as it felt like his head had just been split in two.

Two Phoenix medical staff rushed into the room and as the lights were flicked on, Mac screamed again. He curled himself into a fetal position, then spasmed and kicked out. Jack swore as Mac kicked him straight in the gut, but didn't back away from the kid. Mac needed something, _someone,_ to ground him. To get him away from the pain inside his head. And Jack was the only one who could do that.

Minutes of screams passed and Jack kept holding Mac as tight as he could manage as the kid writhed. The medical staff babbled quickly, completely unsure how they could even help as they still hadn't figured out how to stop Mac's memory lapses.

Finally, after what seemed like hours for both Mac and Jack alike, Mac went limp in Jack's arms. The Phoenix staff just stared, unsure of what had brought on this attack and feeling just as helpless as Jack. Then, Mac suddenly regained consciousness and as he looked up at Jack he flinched so hard that he practically fell out of the bed backward.

Mac's eyes widened as he looked around the room, then stared straight at Jack in pure fear. "Who are you?"

 **Soooo… I just wanted to say that this idea of Mac forgetting who Jack is was inspired by Artemis3737. A special thanks to you for inspiring me and giving me somewhere to go with the story! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. I hope you all enjoyed! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"At first it was just his short-term memory being affected, but now it's his long term too. The thing is, it's only parts of his long-term memory that's gone. He doesn't remember who Agent Dalton is, yet he still remembers everything that happened with Gabel. He doesn't know he's a government agent, yet he knows what the Phoenix is," the doctor explained.

Jack, Bozer, Riley, and Matty were all sitting in the war room, listening to the doctor as he explained Mac's recent memory lapse. While Riley was curled on the couch, Bozer was standing next to Jack who had an ice pack pressed to his jaw. Jack still felt like he was in a daze—Mac had never punched him… at least not that _hard._ The kid had nearly knocked Jack clean out with a single blow before the doctors had sedated him. Even with the ice pack, there was a still a big purple bruise creeping across Jack's jaw.

"Why the hell can't you fix it?" Jack asked, already agitated with how long Mac's recovery was taking.

The doctor was taken aback for a moment and Matty took the opportunity to cut in. "Jack, they can't fix it if they don't know what's wrong."

"Well why don't they know what's wrong yet? It's been over a freakin' week, Matty!" Jack snapped back.

The doctor, now realizing that the Delta's anger was less directed at him and more at the situation in general, took the opportunity to explain the circumstances.

"Agent Dalton, you have to understand that we don't even know what we're working with. Your friend was drugged with poisons we didn't even know existed. They're completely brand new and our doctors — _no_ doctors— are equipped to deal with them. We're doing our best with the knowledge we have. I'm sorry to say, but that's all we can do until we really actually know what was in the syringe Agent Macgyver injected himself with," the doctor explained.

Jack shook his head and turned away. He was too angry and too frustrated to be having a conversation like this. Part of him wanted to yell back at the doctor that they should be trying harder. But he also knew that yelling wouldn't make anything better. Everyone was trying hard.. He was no exception.

"Can I at least go see him?" Jack asked, the anger completely melting away and giving way to raw desperation.

"I'm not sure I would recommend that. Agent Macgyver is pretty disoriented right now…" the doctor began.

"Please," Jack pleaded. There was a moment of silence before the doctor finally gave a small nod.

"But if Agent Macgyver gets the starts to get uncomfortable with your being there, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We can't have Macgyver getting anymore agitated than he already is," the doctor said.

Jack nodded, not really intending to listen to the doctor's words but needing to satisfy his concerns anyways. If Jack was being completely honest with himself, he probably needed Mac right now more than Mac needed him. Everyone in the room knew it, but they weren't going to say anything.

Jack made his way to the medical wing of Phoenix. The lights were dimmed in Mac's room, and Jack knew it was probably a weak attempt to calm the kid down. Inside, Mac was sitting on the floor, chewing on a pencil and surrounded by blank pieces of paper. The kid looked tired—no, not just tired, _stressed._ Every muscle in his body proved it. His shoulders were tense and his knuckles were white from gripping the pencil so hard. Jack could only imagine what was going on in his head right now.

Jack knocked lightly on the door, trying not to scare Mac but make him aware of his presence. Within seconds Mac was off the ground and facing the door. Jack noticed how the blond was standing, feet apart and balancing on the balls of his feet. What had the doctor said? Mac didn't know he was a government agent. Yet, despite that lack of knowledge, Mac was still acting on instinct. He probably didn't even realize what he was doing or why.

"Hi?" Mac said, phrasing the greeting as a question. He seemed unsure of himself, gripping the pencil like some sort of weapon, then attempting to relax when he realized what he was doing. Jack smiled gingerly and inched his way into the room, hands up in surrender.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just here to talk," Jack reassured. Mac clenched his jaw and nodded.

"Can I ask what you're doing?" Jack asked, motioning to the blank papers surrounding Mac.

Mac let out a weak chuckle. "I know biology. Like I wasn't _that_ good at it, but I thought I'd try to figure out what's wrong with me… or how to fix it. I was gonna write all my ideas out and brainstorm but then…" Mac glanced up at Jack, pursing his lips like he was going to say more but decided against it.

"Then I interrupted your thought process?" Jack finished.

"Yeah…" Mac confirmed, suspicion in his voice. Jaw rubbed his jaw and Mac clenched his teeth again. "Uh… sorry about that. I didn't… I wasn't... y'know… thinking."

 _That's a first._ Jack thought to himself. He just shrugged at Mac. "No problem. I take it you're a bit confused about who I am?"

Mac nodded, still being sure to keep distance from Jack.

Jack sighed. "I'm not sure telling you is really going to help. It's not like it's gonna mean anything to you. But I _can_ tell you this: I'm Jack and we're friends. Well… more than friends. Almost brothers…" Jack felt himself losing it. His eyes were getting wet and his throat tight the more he tried to explain.

Mac bit his lip as guilt trickled onto his face. Jack rubbed his face, trying to keep himself in check if only for Mac's sake.

Jack tried to keep going. "Sorry. It's just… we were really close. And when you didn't know who I was… it's hard…" Jack stopped. He was only making this worse.

"Hey, Jack?" Mac asked, stopping Jack from completely breaking down. Jack nodded, nearly choking at the way Mac said his name with such unfamiliarity. "I don't remember you and I'm sorry. I just… I'm probably going to get worse. Maybe… maybe it's best for you if you just leave. I don't think I can help you… with whatever you want from me." Mac said. Jack felt his heart drop.

"But Mac…" Jack started.

Mac shook his head. "Just go. Please? I feel stupid enough." Mac let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. "You're kinda making it worse."

Jack gave his partner the smallest of nods as a tear snaked down his cheek. Then he turned around and exited the room.


	28. Chapter 28

**So… this chapter is pretty short but I wanted to get it out there because I really am planning on finishing this fic! I PROMISE! I'm just dealing with some mental health issues and so updating is sooooo difficult. I love everyone who has stuck with me this long and those who still pop in to review! Your support and reviews are very appreciated. I hope this chapter (as short as it is) will give you a bit of hope that I really will finish the story. :P**

Chapter 28

" _I feel stupid enough."_

Mac's words echoed in Jack's head. Stupid. That was one thing the kid wasn't. Yet he _felt_ stupid. He felt stupid because he couldn't remember anything. He felt stupid because he didn't know who Jack was. He felt stupid because of what Gabel did to him. Right then and there, Jack had sworn he was going to kill Gabel the second he could get his hands on the guy— whether the CIA liked it or not.

"Jack!" A terrified scream came from the hall. Jack was up in seconds, wiping the tears from his cheeks and adjusting his shirt as Riley came in the room. "Mac's gone."

"What do you mean Mac's _gone?"_ Jack asked, following Riley into the hall and toward the medical wing. The panic was already rising in his chest. How much trouble could the kid get himself into in a matter of minutes?

"Bozer went to go see him and the room was empty. There's just a note on the wall," Riley explained, breaking into a jog as Jack's pace quickened.

"How the hell does the kid get out the Phoenix foundation without being spotted?" Jack snapped. The Phoenix had top security, it should be near impossible for the kid to sneak out without being seen.

"I dunno Jack, but we have security on all floors. He's not here."

Jack swore. Mac didn't even remember he was a government agent, yet somehow he had managed to sneak out of one of the most secure buildings in LA without this knowledge. The kid _was_ smart— _too_ smart sometimes.

When they reached the room Mac had been staying in, it looked pretty much the same as it had when Mac was still there. The only difference was that there was a note scrawled across the blank pieces of paper Mac had been given earlier and taped to the wall above the bed.

The letters were big and messy, so big that Mac had needed to use 7 pieces of paper to write his message: _Sorry. I had an idea and had to leave._

If it weren't for the frustration, Jack might have laughed at the note. It was so typical of Mac to just "have an idea" and work it from there. The kid never planned or explained. He just took the ideas that came to mind and went with them. Unfortunately, this idea might put the kid in serious danger considering his medical condition.

"Where's he going, Dalton?" Came a voice from behind Jack.

Jack turned to see Matty, clearly just as confused as Jack. Her face was flushed and tired as she took in the state of the room. Everyone was approaching emotional and physical burnout— if they hadn't already reached that point by now.

"I don't know. I don't know what's going on in the kid's head…" Jack trailed off, turning back to the note and furrowing his brow. He scrubbed his face, begging his brain to latch onto something. There had to be some sort of clue as to where Mac was going.

Matty pursed her lips. "If anyone knows where he is, it's going to be you, Jack. You know the way Mac works under stress better than anyone else here."

Jack nodded absently and closed his eyes. He was just so exhausted. Ever since the mission had begun, he'd been on an emotional rollercoaster. From trying to keep Mac safe to trying to comfort the agent after the trauma he'd been through, Jack had barely had time to comfort _himself._ After this was all over, he was going to take a nice long bubble bath with a sparkly bath bomb or something. This was all getting too much.

"Jack?" Matty asked, pulling Jack from his thoughts.

Jack opened his eyes, "I might have an idea…"


	29. Chapter 29

**YIKES! I haven't been on for a while. So sorry everyone. Although once again, I do promise that I will finish this fic. It just may take some time. A combination of mental health issues and school makes it hard to write. But the semester is winding down so hopefully by April/May I will be able to actually sit down and write. (Fingers crossed). I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed and messaged me privately to encourage me. You have no idea how much it means to me. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love and appreciate you all. The rest of this story, no longer how long it takes to write, is all for you! Enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 29

The rubble site that used to be the clinic was still marked off my tape and metal fencing but that didn't stop the lanky blond from sneaking in. It was a miracle Mac had even been able to find the clinic at all. But somehow the agent had still managed, and now he was digging through the piles of collapsed concrete in his skimpy hospital pajamas and a pair of worn moccasins Jack had brought him as slippers a few days earlier.

"Shit," Mac swore as he cut himself on a sharper piece of stone.

He'd been at the site for at least two hours and he hadn't found anything useful, at least not yet. But he promised himself he wasn't about to leave. Not until he got what he came for.

"Mac!?"

A voice echoed from across the street. Mac froze, his limbs going cold. Across the road, just outside the metal fencing was a figure. There was a gun tucked in his belt, and despite the man trying to conceal it, the bulging outline was obvious. Mac on the other hand, was unarmed and in an open space. He wouldn't stand a chance with his poor excuse for shoes and lack of a weapon.

"I don't… please…" Mac started, holding up his hands in defeat. The figure moved closer, mirroring Mac's posture, hands also in the air. Something was off. That was a sign of surrender. The man wasn't there to hurt him— he was there to help?

"It's Jack, Mac," the figure said. Mac felt a rush go through him before being replaced by the cold again.

 _Jack._ Mac knew that was the man who had come and seen him earlier that day. Apparently they were friends, though Mac had no recollection of that. The fear began to mix with guilt and Mac felt his heart pick up pace.

The blond moved backwards, unsure of whether he should be trusting a man he couldn't remember. Jack flinched as Mac lost his balance and tripped over a concrete slab, then fell over. The wind swept away Jack's cussing but in moments he was beside Mac, having taken the opportunity when Mac was falling to sprint to his partner's side.

"Don't… don't!" Mac screamed, rolling away from Jack as the Delta reached for him. His voice cracked as the debris on the ground dug into his arm. "Don't touch me!"

Jack froze, slowly lifting his hands. His heart broke again. It was hard, fighting his natural instinct to help Mac and instead watching his partner struggle on his own. All the years of training he had, everything they'd been through together, screamed for him to stop standing around and do something. But he couldn't now. It'd just make things worse.

"I'm not here to hurt you kid. I'm just here to help," Jack reassured, leaning back on the heels on his feet. Jack made himself vulnerable, allowing his ready pose to be replaced with lack of balance and openness. Mac might not remember he was an agent, but he sure would know that Jack's posture meant he wasn't about to fight.

Mac pushed himself up, standing to make himself more intimidating while Jack was still crouching amongst the rubble. The wind ruffled his thin pajama shirt, making him shiver slightly.

"Hey man, I have real clothes for you in the car if you want," Jack said, gesturing to a black SUV parked at the end of the street. Mac narrowed his eyes, curious how he'd managed not to notice the SUV when it had arrived.

"Clothes?"

"Look, we all know that big brain of yours isn't going to stop until you find what you're looking for. If we bring you back to Phoenix, you're just going to leave again. I figured I'd help you, and then we can work from there. Deal?"

Mac clenched his jaw, examining Jack thoroughly. The Delta was relaxed, actually, legitimately relaxed. That said a lot. Mac knew that that sort of relaxation signalled that the man was serious. It wasn't a trap.

"I'm looking for the drugs," Mac said, turning back to the rubble while still keeping Jack in his line of sight.

"Drugs. Right, of course," Jack replied, trying to sound confident.

"And you have no clue what I'm even talking about."

Jack snorted and Mac chuckled, just the slightest. Jack felt his cheeks warm as the small gesture of recognition washed over Mac for the split second.

"No I don't, but maybe if you get something warmer on then you can explain to me exactly what your train of thought is, yeah?" Jack suggested. Mac glanced down the road again, considering. Then he gave Jack a small nod.

Jack pointed to his partner, making him hesitate before leaving the site. "But before we leave, you got to promise me that you'll stop pulling the _I'm Stupid_ bullshit around me. Got it? Because if you're anything, Mac, it's not stupid. That's for sure," Jack raised his brow, waiting for an answer.

Mac bit his lip and nodded.

"Ok, now let's get you some real clothes."


	30. Chapter 30

**Soooo… I was too lazy to proofread. Hopefully there aren't any major mistakes. Hope everyone enjoys!**

Chapter 30

Mac felt a lot more comfortable. He'd swapped his thin pajamas out for a pair a khakis and a long sleeve shirt. He'd also replaced his moccasins for a pair of real shoes— which proved to be very helpful while he dug around the rubble of the clinic.

"The last drug you were dosed with wasn't found when the Phoenix team went over the site. The only drugs analysed were the ones still in your blood when we brought you in, and they matched the previous ones you'd been dosed with the weeks before. Doc said none of them are capable of causing the symptoms of memory loss you're experiencing," Jack explained, watching Mac carefully as he peeked under another slab of concrete.

Mac crouched, still visibly tense but much more relaxed than when Jack had first arrived. He stared at Jack, contemplating a thought for a moment, before continuing his fruitless search.

"I just…" Mac paused to scrub his face, "I just… maybe if we found the original I was dosed with then they can figure out the antidote. The last drug he gave me. That's what I'm looking for."

Jack scratched his jaw. "I know man, but that's the one they couldn't find. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Matty had teams go over this site 9 times, Mac. They didn't find anything. We even had special personel looking the drug. If the Dr. Zorgdragger kept it somewhere, it wasn't here."

Mac paused again, his eyes searching the area around him. Then, suddenly, he punched the slab of concrete.

"WOAH! WOAH!" Jack started, running to his partner.

Mac cursed, standing and cradling his hand against his chest. He squinted down at the blood trickling from his knuckles.

"Shit. Goddamn. That hurts," Mac winced.

"Is it your head kid?" Jack asked, noticing the way Mac was squinting excessively.

Mac stopped, taking a moment to stare at Jack stupidly despite the pain. "I just punched a slab on concrete."

"Well I saw that," Jack furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling accused. He gestured to Mac's head, being careful not to get too close and scare the kid. "But you're squinting a lot…"

Mac cocked his head, still cradling his arm. "It's bright out."

"Right…"

"Just…" Mac backed away, nearly tripping over another pile of rubble as he backed up. Instinctively Jack reached out, but Mac batted his hand away. "Can I just… just leave me be for a sec."

"Is there something wrong?" Jack winced at the question. It was stupid, really. But Mac's behaviour had been so unpredictable of late. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what was flying around in the big brain of his.

"I'm frustrated, ok?" Mac spat, stretching out his hand. "I'm freaking frustrated."

Jack sighed, and nodded. "Doc said that emotional spikes can lead to… y'know… them brain lapse things. So maybe just take a sec to… to calm down y'know?"

Mac kicked a few chunks of wood across the ground. "Ya, ya I know that."

There was a moment of silence between the two agents. Mac felt defeated— Jack knew that mumbly tone anywhere and it didn't change no matter how much Mac forgot. The Delta swallowed, trying to keep his emotions from getting the better of him while allowing Mac to aimlessly wander around the site. At least ten minutes passed before Mac began to make his way to the SUV.

"Hey, where you going Mac?" Jack called, surprised Mac was giving up so easily. The kid was frustrated, sure, but usually he kept powering on until all options were exhausted.

Mac turned, a grin forming on his face "I got a plan!" He called.

Jack smirked. "That's more like it!".

Jack began to run after him, digging for the car keys in his pocket.

And that's when Mac collapsed in the middle of the street.

OOOOOO

"Riley I need Mac's doctor on the phone NOW," Jack screamed into his cell.

Mac was in the passenger seat, screaming one moment and sobbing the next. He was clutching his head, squeezing his eyes shut and crying for Jack to make it stop. On the other end of the phone, Jack could hear Riley scrambling around, calling to different personnel at Phoenix.

"Hold on kid, hold on. I got you. We're gonna figure this out.

There was a click on the other end of the line, then, "Jack? This is Mac's doctor. What's going on?"

Another scream ripped from Mac's throat. Jack swore, and swerved around the corner, clutching the steering wheel as he gunned it toward Phoenix.

"He's having one of those memory lapse things I think. But this time he's not passing out this time. Something isn't right. It just keeps going on," Jack explained.

"Please… please make it stop," Mac sobbed. He brought his head down to his knees, then began to throw up.

"No no no no no," Jack began, whipping around another corner. "Doc what's going on?!"

"How long has this been going on for?"

"At least twenty minutes."

There was a moment of silence on the line, then, "Jack you need to pull over."

"What? What do you mean pull over? Mac need medical attention ASAP. I'm heading to Phoenix."

"No. No, Jack. You need to pull over right this second. Mac is experiencing an overload of thoughts right now. You need to calm him down. That's what's going on. He's not having a memory lapse. This is different"

"Calm him down? You can't be serious. Doc, he's throwing up and his head is in pain. This is more than just overthinking."

"I'm not saying he's overthinking Jack. I'm saying his neurons are firing way too fast. That's because he's overstimulated. He hasn't been out of a hospital since this whole thing started. His brain is just beginning to process everything and the drug has altered his normal mental state. Your driving and whatever he was thinking about before this happened, all of that is working him up to something similar to an epileptic seizure. You need to calm him down and he'll be fine. Get him distracted. Get him off of the thought loop he's currently on."

Jack glanced at Mac then to the road. Mac screamed again. Then Jack slammed on the brakes and guided the SUV to the curb.

"And how exactly am I supposed to calm him down? He won't even let me touch him." Jack asked, wincing as Mac's knuckles began to turn white from clutching his head so hard.

"What was he thinking about before? Did he want to go somewhere? Then take him there. Or let him do what he wanted to do. Maybe take him somewhere familiar."

"He said he had a plan. Before he collapsed, he said he had a plan to find the drug that he was dosed with," Jack began, glancing around the SUV as if it would reveal some way to help Mac.

"Ok. That's good. Figure out what that plan was and start acting on it. That's how you're going to calm him down. Got it?"

Jack clenched his jaw. "Got it doc."

He took a breath, then he hung up the phone.

 **Ok…. so NONE of this is at all medically accurate. But Mac was dosed with a weird drug so we're going to pretend all of this is possible ;P.**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 **Hahaha... so my favourite thing about writing Mac with this drug is that I can make anything happen and don't really have to do medical research. Let's be honest, research takes time and sucks. So hopefully I'm not making anyone cringe because of all the medical inaccuracies of the last chapter. Literally everything in there was made up by me. And it's going to continue to be that way most likely.** **¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯ Hopefully everyone still enjoys. :)**

"Mac, where are we headed?" Jack asked. He was mostly asking the question to himself because his partner was still incapacitated by the pain in his head. Jack dug his fingernails into the steering wheel, trying to focus his attention on where to go rather than the blond who was heaving in the passenger seat.

Mac had wanted to find the last drug Zorgdrager had given him. But no one knew where that drug was. Obviously Mac had had an idea of where to find it, but he hadn't told Jack. Unless… he had? Jack mentally ran through everything that had happened since Mac had been rescued.

The explosion. The helicopter crash. Ted. John. Mac's memory lapse. Meat man. Wait… something was missing from the entire equation.

Gabel.

Mac screamed again and curled against the passenger door, fumbling at the door handle. There was no way the kid was going to get his fingers curled around it though. Not the way he was shaking. Jack shook his head and pounded the steering wheel. There was something. So much had gone on. So much had happened. But what everyone kept forgetting was that their enemies weren't Zorgdragger, or Ted, or John, or even the drug for that matter. Their real enemy was Gabel. He was the one who had started it all and if he had started it, then that was where they were going to find the answers to this whole damned catastrophe.

Jack pulled the SUV back onto the road, cutting a small blue convertible off in the process. "Mac!" Jack reached over and pulled the blond closer to him despite Mac trying to pull away. The blue convertible blared its horn. "Mac! We're going to find Gabel. Got that? We're going to take down Gabel and we're going to find out where he's stashing that drug."

Mac didn't seem to hear him at first. He screamed again and kicked the dash, then curled his knees to his chest. Jack drove faster, making his way steadily to the Phoenix building. They had an entire room of files there on Gabel. Somewhere in there, there would be a clue as to where they could find the madman. Mac had read the entirety of those files. He might not remember it, but the information was still swimming around in that big brain of his somewhere. He'd know how to use it once they got the information back in front of him.

Jack swerved around a corner and Mac groaned. "Sorry man," Jack mumbled. "Sorry."

"That hurt…" Mac replied.

The words were barely audible but Jack couldn't have missed them. A smile split across his face as he looked over to see Mac, rubbing his temples, but no longer screaming and clawing at his head.

"Hey hey! I knew you'd pull through, man," Jack laughed. He slapped the steering wheel and slowed down, now driving the normal speed limit. Mac groaned in response.

Jack squirmed in his seat out of pure joy. "Man, I knew it! I figured out what was going on in that brain of yours!" He slapped the steering wheel again.

Mac didn't give a response this time. He just nodded as Jack continued to drive to Phoenix.

00000

"I really don't want you out in the field Macgyver. Not in your state," the doctor advised as she checked Mac's blood pressure. Mac ignored her and continued to scan the file he was working on. The doctor slid the blood pressure cuff off his arm, dissatisfied with the results.

Him and Jack were back in the room where it all began. Files upon files were stacked to the ceiling. Jack had spent nearly two hours filling Mac in on who he was— his position as a government agent, how he'd gotten there, and what they had been planning on doing about Gabel. Mac never let on how much he didn't remember, but Jack guessed it was a lot. Most of the time Mac had spent nodding at Jack while his face scrunched up in confusion. He remembered what Gabel had done to him, that was hard to forget, but when Jack had told him about his role in everything, Mac had let his composure slip. His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he crinkled them back down again. Jack tried to ignore it, but he had a bad feeling gnawing at his gut, telling him that if they didn't figure things out soon Mac wouldn't have much left to go on.

Matty was standing next to one of the piles, her brow creased but not saying a word. Jack knew that face. She was concerned about Mac being in the field. But she also knew one of the only solutions to this whole mess was putting him in the field. And so, instead of saying anything, she was leaving the decision up to Mac and Jack. Mac knew what he was getting into when he signed up. He might not remember it now, but whether or not he was going to put himself in danger was his choice and his choice alone.

"Mac…" the doctor prodded, pulling out a penlight to shine in his eyes. Mac pulled away and swatted the light out of her hands.

"Look, I know I'm not ok. I haven't been ok for a while. But I'd rather be doing something about it and risk the consequences than rotting in the medical wing, wishing and hoping it's going to get better," Mac snapped, turning back to his file.

Beside him, Jack shrugged. "Look doc, I do agree with you, but I gotta say, Mac has a point. He's the one with the brains. Not me. If we're gonna figure this out, he's going to have to be a part of it."

Matty couldn't help but briefly smile. Through thick and thin, her agents were the same. They were going to figure it out, one way or another. And Jack would be sure of that because no part of him was willing to watch anything happen to Mac.

"Doc… I take your advice _very_ seriously. I assure you. But I have to send Macgyver back into the field. There's no other way." Matty cut in.

The doctor sighed, utterly fed up with the whole situation. She pulled back from Macgyver and shoved her penlight back into her pocket. "Alright," she began hesitantly. "I guess I'll just wait around until you need me again. Which, I'm sure, will be soon if you're not careful." The last piece of her sentence was directed at Mac. He met her eyes then clenched his jaw.

"I'll be careful." Then the blond replied. He genuinely looked like he meant it.

The doctor shook her head. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't spiral into an episode when Jack told you all the things you didn't remember. Giving too much information for your brain to process can be very traumatizing for your brain. And I'm 99% sure that's what happened earlier."

Mac ignored her and instead turned to Jack and slid over the file. "Every year Gabel has a meeting with a buyer by the name of Frederick. Every year. On the same date."

Jack scanned the file, briefly glancing up at the doctor as she left the room. "That's two days from now."

"Are you proposing that we crash that meeting?" Matty asked, walking toward the table to get a glance at the file.

Mac shook his head. "No, that'd just scare him off. I'm proposing that we follow Fredrick. Figure out what he's all about. He's the only person who Gabel meets annually. That means that Gabel has regular business with him. Big business. Business that's too big to be meeting more often and risk getting caught."

Mac shook his head, rubbing his eyes as the room jumped in and out of focus.

"You okay Mac?" Jack asked, placing a hand of Mac's shoulder. Mac flinched it off and Jack pulled away quickly. Everything almost felt normal again, just for that brief second. Jack almost had forgotten that his partner still didn't know who he was. Sure, Jack had told him multiple times, but that didn't mean Mac remembered or felt any sort of familiarity toward him.

"Yeah, I'm good." Mac replied, shooting Jack a glare.

Matty completely ignored the situation. They needed someone not to be emotionally involved. And unfortunately, she had taken on that role. If the mission was going to go according to plan… not that it really had from the start… but _if_ it was, she had to resist the temptation to get too close to everything. She had to stay detached.

"But Mac, all the information on everyone Gabel meets is in those files. What more are you hoping to learn from Frederick than what we already have gathered on him?"

"I remember being in a warehouse with Gabel. Frederick was there. I didn't know it at the time it was him. I thought he was one of Gabel's henchmen. But…" Mac picked up the photo of Frederick that was spilled on the table with the other sheets of paper. "This is the face I saw. I'm positive. That means Frederick was with Gabel and neither the CIA or Phoenix knew about it. Gabel is careful with this guy. Something is different about him and for all we know, the information we've gathered on him is false. Planted"

Matty's eyes narrowed and Jack picked up the enlarged photograph of the so-called Frederick.

"And…" Mac continued, his voice wavering. "He was the one who knocked me out at the river. He kicked me with a steel toed boot." Mac winced as the scene flashed through his head. "I have a feeling he's got more to do with this than anyone is aware of."

 **OK…. I don't know why but I just continue to make this story more and more complicated. The characters just have minds of their own and never follow the plan I want them too! Anyways, that being said, I'd love to hear you guys opinion on everything. Am I whumping Mac too much (if that's possible :P)? Who do you think this Frederick guy is and how is he part of this? Are you enjoying the story (despite the fact I have VERY sporadic updating skills)? I love you all and value the feedback you guys give me so so so much. Thanks again for sticking with me and reading the fic!**

 **Side note: To everyone who's sent me reviews… I'm sorry if I never responded. I love responding to reviews just so you know I care and I got them, but considering how spotty my mental health has been, I can't keep track of what I've replied to or not. Just know that I received your review and I appreciate it very much!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Here's the deal guys: I'm pretty sure I will be able to wrap this story up in the next few chapters. I already have the next chapter half written and the following ones planned out all the way 'till the end. Sooo… most likely, before this summer ends, this story will FINALLY come to a close. YAY! I just want to put it out there, that because this story was so long and so sporadically updated, most of the connections I've made to previous chapters probably don't all add up or make sense and tbh I don't care anymore :P. I wrote this story to have some fun and it definitely was that. I hope that you, as my awesome readers who have stuck it out this long, have enjoyed it and are looking forward to the final chapters. If you've stuck around this long, you've probably already figured out just how much things don't always make sense anyways lol. I'd also like to give a shoutout to milkysupernova and Dlwells51 who both wanted to contribute to the ending of this story. Unfortunately I decided to go a different way milkysupernova, but your input was a super cool idea and I really appreciated it! (I may save it for future stories). And Dlwells51, unfortunately the emails never went through so I could never hear your idea but I'm sure it was awesome (Because everyone in this fandom has awesome ideas!).**

 **Enjoy chapter 32 and ignore any typos :P**

Chapter 32

Frederick was a man of many secrets.

Phoenix files had recorded him buying weapons from Gabel and it was assumed that he might be reselling the products or perhaps selling them to more personal clients and giving partial profits to Gabel. They didn't know much more about the man. And they definitely didn't know that he was one of the top researchers for the International Medical Association of Rare Diseases, otherwise known as IMARD. IMARD was having one of their monthly meetings that day, most of which a few select members were invited to. Majority of members were lucky if they even got invited once a year. Frederick had been at every single meeting.

When Mac and Jack had followed him there, directly after his meeting his Gabel, Frederick was no longer using the name 'Frederick'. All the researchers referred to him as 'Bentley'. As Mac strolled by, pushing the cleaning cart full of supplies, he smiled politely and promised Mr. Bentley that the cleaning crew would be out of their way in a matter of minutes. Mr. Bentley waved it off, saying that they were only doing their job and were welcome to stay as long as required.

That was Frederick's first mistake.

In fact, the cleaning crew consisted of Mac, Jack, Riley and Bozer. Bozer had already managed to bug Frederick, and Riley was already bringing up audio for everyone as the man closed the door to the conference room at the highest level of the IMARD's highrise.

Riley shot Mac a smirk. Everything was going exactly as planned. Mac grinned back. The whole op, though he couldn't remember the last time he was part of one, felt oddly familiar. A good familiar. For the first time since Jack had picked him up at the clinic, Mac felt relieved.

The four agents piled into the supply closet along with their janitorial cart. Riley planted her laptop on the cart while Jack and Mac leaned against the wall and Bozer took a seat on the floor.

"Who's idea was it to hide out in a supply closet?" Bozer asked, curling his legs against himself.

Riley snorted but Mac immediately cut in, holding out a hand to listen to the audio.

The voice was full of static but still clear enough to hear. _In 7 days our careful planning will have come to a close. HIPEX will be ready to hit the markets and IMARD will finally get the recognition it deserves. We'll receive millions of dollars for support and I'd like to thank each and every individual in this room for working so hard on the cure. The spore- spread disease won't last long, I assure you. It will just last long enough for this organization to get what it needs._

Riley's brow scrunched together. "What's HIPEX?"

Bozer propped his head on his knee. "I don't know but more importantly, what is it curing?"

Mac met Riley's eyes, his face growing panicked.

"What is it Mac?" Jack asked, his composure hardening.

"Riley, day 2 of the test trials. You remember it, right?"

All eyes turned to hacker who was hovered over the laptop. At first, she looked confused. Then, suddenly, here eyes widened at the realization. She slammed her laptop shut. "We've got a serious problem."

"Day two? What's so special about day two?" Bozer asked, pulling himself off the floor.

"Mac smacked the wall, silencing the other three agents.

"Woah man. Calm down, jut explain to us what's going on in that head of yours." Jack cut in.

Mac ran his fingers through his hair.

"Day two was the only day they released a spore-bound drug on me. It was blue-ish purple. It was airborne. That's what Fredrick is talking about. That's what HIPEX is going to cure. That's what's going to cure _me."_

The room went completely silent at the idea of a cure for Mac. It was no secret how hard everyone had been working to find something to help the blond genius, and now the prospect of a cure being within reach, within the _same building,_ was something that sent the team into a daze.

As always, Jack was the first to break the silence. "Wait, wait, wait. You said you were looking for the last drug they drugged you with. The one Phoenix couldn't track down. Why all of sudden is this blue spore fairy dust so important?"

"Riley, bring up Phoenix's file on the drugs," Mac replied.

Within a matter of seconds the file was on the screen available for everyone to see. Mac pointed at the screen.

"Everyone was so concerned about Gabel and about finding a cure for me that no one even noticed that the drug they used on day two wasn't recovered either. That's because it is spread through spores. They couldn't store it on-site at the clinic. _I_ didn't even notice it wasn't on the report until now. I was too concerned with trying to track down the other drug."

Mac rubbed his temples in frustration, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. The supply closet wasn't exactly the coolest place to be with three other people.

"Okay, okay. So let me get this straight. The drug causing all these symptoms is actually this gas you're talking about, _not_ the last drug you were drugged with before we rescued you?" Bozer cut in.

"Right, ya. We were looking at the wrong thing the whole time."

Riley crinkled her brow. "And they're planning on releasing this spore just so they can jumpstart the market with their cure and get paid millions. That's what this was all about. That's what Fredrick has been planning this entire time."

Jack cocked his head and grabbed the supply closet door knob. "Well, we've got our work cut out for us. Let's go and stop this son-of-a-bitch and get that cure for Mac."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Jack entered the room first.

They all looked a bit odd— a group of custodial staff storming the room of the top executives of the IMARD. But it didn't look so odd anymore when Jack unzipped his uniform and pulled out his gun. Mac followed closely behind as Jack yelled at each and every member to put their hands up and not to move.

Riley and Bozer came from behind Mac, quickly taking a file from Fredrick's hand, who was completely frozen and clearly panicking. Riley flipped it open, shaking her head.

"Yep, this is it," she announced. A few moments passed as she scanned the file then threw it down on the desk. "What kind of sick people create a disease just so they make money off the cure?" Then she turned to Fredrick himself. "And what kind of sick people drug my friend just so they can watch the drug take effect close up?"

Fredrick opened his mouth, then closed it again. Frederick was used to being on the other side of the gun, always in control with the help of Gabel's men to back him up. Now that he'd lost that control, he clearly didn't know what to do or say.

Jack cocked his gun at Fredrick's head. "I would advise you not to say anything Freddie-boy, unless the next words that come out of your mouth are where we can find this _HIPEX_ cure for my friend Mac."

Fredrick began to stutter. "M..M...Mac?"

Jack smirked. "That's right Freddie-boy. Mac, the guy you sent your goon to kill at the hospital."

Mac stepped out in front of Fredrick, staring at the man who had ordered his death. A man who saw him as collateral that he could get rid of with a simple order and a bullet.

"Right now my top priority isn't the cure," Mac announced to the room.

The room went silent. Bozer glanced at Riley and Riley glanced at Jack, each one with an equally confused look on their face.

Jack broke the silence. "Mac, dude, you _need_ that—"

Mac cut him off. "The first thing I want to know, _Fredrick,_ is your connection with Gabel and how much you can tell us about his organization. I made a promise to a young girl and her father, and I intend to keep it."

The room was silent again. Clearly, the 7 other men surrounding the executive table weren't about to leave. They were scientists looking for a payday, not terrorists. This was probably the first time they'd seen a gun up close.

Finally, Riley cleared her throat and Jock tapped his gun against Fredrick's head. "You heard the man. What do you know about the Cobra Syndicate?"

0000000000

Fredrick was finally talking. It had only taken a short ride to Phoenix and an even shorter conversation with Matty for him to spill all his secrets.

"So, what do we got?" Jack asked as Matty exited the interrogation room. The Delta was fidgeting. Matty hadn't allowed him to sit in on the interrogation because of his close he was emotionally to the whole situation. And Mac, well Mac definitely hadn't been allowed in. Despite the self control he showed at the high-rise, he still was obviously after the cure just as much as Jack was.

Matty nodded. "We've got good stuff."

Jack gave a half smile. "Okay…? And what do you mean by good?"

Matty smiled. "We've got _everything."_

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Mac was in the war room, sitting quietly on the couch while bobbing his leg up and down. He hadn't moved since they got back from the op. Avery was sitting on the other end of the couch, picking at her cuticles while her father paced back and forth in front of the screen. Just outside, watching from the hallways, Riley and Bozer were waiting for Matty to come back from the interrogation room. Jack had wandered off long ago, commenting something about how he was going to talk to Matty, and hadn't returned yet.

"I've never seen this much tension in one room," Bozer whispered to Riley.

Riley shook her head. "God, I hope that creep had some good info cause if we don't get somewhere soon, Jack is going to pull out his hair."

Bozer nodded in agreement. "And he doesn't even have that much hair left to pull out."

As if on cue, Jack came strutting down the hall behind Matty, his face beaming. Riley's eyebrows shot up in anticipation and Jack nodded.

"Hell ya, we got it. The whole kit and kaboodle!" He cheered.

Bozer grinned and Riley pulled him close, squeezing him tight.

Matty stopped, watching the three agents as they altogether high-fived and raced to the door of the war room to tell the anxious trio inside. Right at the beginning of the op Mac had put his total trust in his family at Phoenix. That family had never let him down and they weren't about to.

Jack ran into the room, pulling Mac into a hug despite the fact that Mac tried to pull away. Jack grabbed his head, pulling him closer and whispered something in his ear. Immediately the blond's face lit up. Slowly he hugged Jack back. It was an awkward, unfamiliar hug. But if everything went according to plan, that hug wouldn't be unfamiliar for much longer.

 **As far as I know there's only one last chapter left to sum everything up! YAY! In that chapter I'll explain exactly what Fredrick told Matty and anything else that needs to come to a close (as in the awesome bromance that needs to happen between Mac and Jack *wink* *wink*).**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"You have no idea the effects that dementia can have on a person. No. Idea," Fredrick spat at Matty. Matty only stared back at the terrorist sitting in front of her.

She was angry. Of course, she was always angry when she interrogated terrorists. They were the most selfish people she knew. Except somehow, Fredrick was worse. Fredrick had personally attacked her the second he laid his eyes on Mac. And now, as she stared at him from across the interrogation room, she physically could feel herself shaking. She didn't remember the last time she was this angry when interrogating someone. For some reason, not even Murdoc had struck this much nerve. Fredrick had done worse. He had tried to take the very thing from Mac that made the kid who he was— his brain.

"Fredrick, I'll have you know something," Matty started, checking her voice when it began to quiver. "I don't care if you think your cause was noble. I don't care what kind of outcome it might have had. I don't care about _any_ of it. Because all I want to know is what information you have on the Cobra Syndicate and where the cure is for this disease you've created. Once you tell me that, I'll promise you that you'll never see me again."

Fredrick actually flinched. The woman in front of him had barely said a few sentences and he could feel the anger reverberating off of her. He'd never seen anger like that before, not even with Gabel who was probably one of the most hot tempered people he knew.

"I just wanted to do it for me mom…" Fredrick started.

Matty cut him off. "Look Freddie, a lot of people get dementia, not just your mom. It sucks. I would know. But just because someone close to you suffers from an incurable condition, does not mean you have the right to ruin the lives of millions of other people. _Millions of lives,_ just so you can sell them a cure and use the money to fund a program to cure your mother. It just doesn't work like that."

Fredrick stared back at the woman. A few minutes passed in silence before he worked up the courage to speak again. "You said if I gave you the information you needed that I wouldn't have to see you again?"

Matty nodded, not breaking eye contact with the terrorist.

"Fine."

Matty sat down, prompting Fredrick to speak. "The Cobra Syndicate, is, well, _big._ But that's precisely the point of working with them. They knew how to mass produce the disease I needed and the cure. They had the resources."

Matty cleared her throat.

"Right, right, sorry," Fredrick apologized. Then he continued, "I was paying Gabel a quarter of my profits for all the work he did at producing the disease and cure for me. But on top of that, my payment included providing everyone in the syndicate immunization, free of charge. At least, all the important people that Gabel wanted to keep around. And so, I spent the last few months immunizing each of every man or woman in the syndicate that Gabel wanted me to immunize. There were well over 200 and it took a lot of my time. But I had a list of them all with their full names so that the second any of them got in touch with me, after I had released the disease, I had to provide them with HIPEX, the cure. The immunizations only had an 80% chance of preventing them from catching the disease and so if any of them did start to show signs that they were infected, I had to also provide them the cure, free of charge. It was all part of my agreement with Gabel."

Matty's lips curled just the slightest. "And where can we find this list?"

Fredrick swallowed. "In the laptop you confiscated from me."

"Good. Now, where can we find the cure for my agent?"

Fredrick nodded sadly. "In my lab, on the 8th floor of IMARD's highrise."

Matty stared a bit longer at the man sitting in front of her. He was tired, defeated. Three nights straight in the interrogation room was enough to break him down. It was pathetic really. Most terrorists fought harder. But obviously Fredrick knew that no matter what, it was over for him. Whether it was by the hands of Phoenix or the Cobra Syndicate, he didn't stand a chance.

"Well Fredrick, I'm happy to inform you that, just like I promised, you'll never have to see me again," Matty began. Fredick relaxed only the slightest. "And that's because you'll be spending the rest of your days in a hell hole of a prison. Have fun."

And with that, Matty left the room to go find Jack.

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Mac and Jack were at the highrise, in Fredrick's lab, staring at a syringe labelled _HIPEX._ Mac was visibly shaking, and no matter how much he tried to hide it, Jack couldn't miss the way his fingers barely managed to hold on to the syringe as he took it from it's case.

He looked at Jack, trying to smile but failing to keep his lips quirked up. "So this is it, huh?"

Jack nodded. "You nervous?"

Mac let out a shaky chuckle. "I don't even know who you are right now and a few minutes after I take this I'm supposed to be able to remember. Ya… that kinda scares me. You seem like a scary dude to know."

Both men let out a bout of laughter, Mac's a bit shakier than Jacks. Finally, the room quieted and they both stared at each other. Mac finally shrugged, then pulled up a chair. Rolling up his sleeve, he grabbed a band from his pocket and tied it around his upper arm, cradling the syringe in his lap. He then tested out the vein and when he was satisfied he popped off the lid of syringe, ready to inject himself. Jack sucked in a breath.

"Wait…" Mac began, pausing. He held up the syringe and stared at it for a moment. Then he held it out to Jack. "Would you do the honours?"

Jack cocked his head, carefully taking the cure from Mac's fingers. "You sure man?"

Mac nodded. "Ya, I'm probably too shaky to do it anyways."

Jack smiled, a tear threatening to escape his eye. Then the Delta knelt down beside the kid, gently taking his arm in his hand. "Ok man, you ready?"

Mac nodded, his eyes watching Jack's every move.

Jack plunged the needle into Mac's arm.

OOOOOOO

 _4 HOURS LATER_

"I can't believe I forgot that," Mac choked, another tear dribbling down his face.

Jack pulled the blond closer to him, resting Mac's head against his chest. "I know man, I know. But it's okay now. You're gonna be okay now. It wasn't your fault."

Mac didn't reply. Instead he stared at Fredrick's lab and the empty syringe on the floor. It had been 4 hours. 4 whole hours. He hadn't been able to get his feet to move, let alone his stomach to cooperate. The very thought of forgetting Jack, forgetting the man who had become a father to him, made his skin crawl. The very guilt of it had paralysed him. All the memories flooding back had basically punched him in the gut and sent him sprawling across the floor.

And now Jack was picking up the pieces, _again,_ like he'd always done. The Delta had scooped Mac up, cradled him against himself while the blond sobbed against him for a solid 2 hours. Then the two had sat there quietly for the remaining hours with only the occasional murmur from Mac and reassurance from Jack. The sun had gone down long ago but Jack couldn't get himself to move or tell Mac they had to leave. The only thing he could do was hold the kid, keeping him safe like he'd always done.

Mac shifted slightly for the first time in four hours. HIs body was stiff and tired from crying. He lifted his head up, turning to look at Jack in the eyes. Jack looked down at the kid, smiling. Every time Mac looked at him, looked at his with genuine recognition, he couldn't help but smile ridiculously. Mac managed a small smile back.

"I missed you Jack."

Jack's smile grew. He tousled Mac's hair and pulled the kid into a hug.

"I missed you too man."

Mac buried his face into Jack's chest, his shaking finally lessening and his muscles relaxing.

"Hey Jack?" Mac asked, his voice muffled from where his face was still pressed against Jack's shirt.

"Ya?"

"Let's go home."

THE END

 **Sooooo… I hope you all liked the ending! I considered writing a few more scenes for some closure between Mac and Avery along with some sort of emotional fluff between Mac and Riley but, to be honest, I kinda liked it the way it ended with Mac and Jack so I left it at that. I'm so happy this fic is finally done and despite all the ups and downs, I really enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with me until the end! I LOVE YOU ALL! In the future, I'll be sure to completely finish my fics before posting them so that way my readers are guaranteed consistent updates ;P. Hope to write a new fic soon!**


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